England, the defending champions, have qualified for the Super 8 phase of the T20 World Cup 2024 which will be played entirely in the Caribbean.
They mounted a stunning comeback for Super 8 qualification after struggling with just 1 point in their opening two matches, which was then followed by their record run chase against Oman in just 3.1 overs and a 41-run victory against Namibia in a rain-affected match.
They had earlier found themselves in a tough spot after their loss to Australia by 36 runs, coupled with their earlier match against Scotland had been washed out, which put Jos Buttler’s team in a critical position.
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Moreover, England had a disappointing ODI World Cup campaign in India last October where they ended up being dumped out in the group stages. However, their comeback during the group stages of the ongoing World Cup will give them confidence ahead of the Super 8 phase.
What was England's qualification scenario for Super 8s?
To secure a spot in the Super 8 stage, England needed to win their final two group stage matches against Oman, Namibia convincingly and also needed to rely on Australia to beat Scotland. While they had beaten both Oman and Namibia, to move to second place in Group B, the Australia-Scotland match was still yet to finish.
The two UK teams, England and Scotland, were tied on 5 points and since the former had a superior Net Run Rate (NRR), they simply needed favourites Australia to win their final group stage match.
After Scotland's loss against Australia, both teams were tied on 5 points, but England qualified to the Super 8 due to the advantage of having a higher NRR than Scotland.
This was largely due to England's effort to improve their NRR, which they did with two dominating performances, when they beat Oman by 8 wickets, in 3.1 overs while chasing a target of 47. This has boosted their NRR to a high of 3.611.
England's upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup matches
After England secured a spot in the Super 8 following their back-to-back wins against Oman, Namibia, and Australia's win against Scotland. They will travel to the Caribbean for the next phase of the T20 World Cup 2024 tournament.
As they have secured qualification for the Super 8, they will be put in a group that includes West Indies, South Africa, and USA.
| Opposition | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| West Indies | 20 June 2024 (Thursday) | Bridgetown |
| South Africa | 21 June 2024 (Friday) | Gros Islet, St Lucia |
| USA | 23 June 2024 (Sunday) | Bridgetown |
Let's take a look at group B's point table.
ICC T20 World Cup 2024 - Points Table (Group B)
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NR/Tie | Points | NRR |
| Australia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2.791 |
| England | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3.611 |
| Scotland | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1.255 |
| Namibia | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -2.585 |
| Oman | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -3.062 |
Despite the challenges, England had a history of bouncing back in major tournaments. In the past, they showed resilience after initial setbacks, as seen in their 2019 50-over world cup win. They have managed to stage another comeback in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 tournament as well.
Similarly, during the 2022 T20 World Cup, they overcame early losses and became champions. This track record suggests that England can be a dangerous team during the Super 8 phase in the current tournament.
The current T20 World Cup holders, England will aim to replicate their stunning performances and successfully defend their throne as champions, once again.