The race to make the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals is heating up with just a handful of games remaining in the group stage, including the Group A clash between India and Australia at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The result of the IND-W vs AUS-W match will be crucial in determining which two of the five teams from Group A progress to the semi-finals.

While Sri Lanka are already out of the running after three losses, India, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan are still in the race for the semi-finals.

India’s Net Run Rate (NRR) was hurt after their opening 58-run loss to New Zealand, dropping to -2.9. It slightly improved after a six-wicket win over Pakistan but shot up to +0.57 following a dominant 82-run victory over Sri Lanka. Even a narrow loss to Australia could see India qualify, as long as the damage to their NRR is minimal.

A win against Australia on Sunday would give India the best chance to qualify, as they would finish with six points. If New Zealand lose at least one of their remaining two games, India would qualify directly on points without worrying about the NRR in this scenario.