World Cup 2023 Points Table: Unbeaten India top round-robin stage with 18 points after thumping Netherlands

The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup kicked off on Thursday (5 October) at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium with New Zealand defeating defending champions England by nine wickets. World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table The Black Caps, who have finished runners-up in each of the last two editions and are eyeing their maiden title this year, thus became the first team to open their accounts on the World Cup points table. Hosts India too got their campaign off to a winning start in their opening game against Australia in Chennai, triumphing over the five-time world champions by six wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. In the double-header, the final one of the World Cup, on Saturday, 11 November, Australia hammered Bangladesh by eight wickets with 32 balls remaining to finish third on the points table behind hosts India and South Africa. Though they finished level on 14 points with the Proteas, the latter are ranked higher due to their superior Net Run Rate. Bangladesh, meanwhile, finished level with Sri Lanka on four points from eight games but remain at the eighth spot thanks to their superior NRR. England finished above them at seventh after their win against Pakistan on Saturday, while Netherlands ended the group stage as the last-placed team in the standings following a 160-run defeat to India. India maintained their 100 per cent win record in the tournament, and extended their unbeaten run to nine matches. Having been eliminated from the semi-finals, England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Netherlands had been fighting for a top-eight finish in order to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. New Zealand, meanwhile, officially confirmed their place in the semi-finals during the England-Pakistan match at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Saturday. The Englishmen rode on half-centuries from Ben Stokes (84), Joe Root (60) and Jonny Bairstow (59) to post 337/9 on the board. Pakistan needed to chase that target down in 6.5 overs in order to eclipse New Zealand’s NRR, but could only manage 30/2, losing two early wickets to the retiring David Willey. England would eventually confirm their Champions Trophy participation with a 93-run win against Pakistan. Afghanistan, meanwhile, signed off with eight points from nine outings in what has been an extraordinary World Cup campaign for them so far. India were the first team to confirm their place in the semi-finals after handing Sri Lanka a 302-run hammering in Mumbai, and would ensure they finished the league stage at the top of the table by thrashing South Africa by 243 runs in Kolkata. South Africa and Australia became the second and third teams respectively to confirm their semi-final spots after their victories against New Zealand and Afghanistan respectively. Here’s a detailed look at the ICC World Cup 2023 points table (updated as of 12 November at 10.47 pm):

Q: Qualified The World Cup this year will be hosted entirely in India unlike the previous editions that took place in the sub-continent, in which the cricket-mad nation co-hosted along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. It is set to run for more than a month, with the final also taking place at Narendra Modi Stadium on 19 November. India, who recently were crowned Asian champions following a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the final, are solid favourites heading into the tournament. The Men in Blue, who are being led by a third different captain in as many editions, have not won an ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy and their last World Cup win came in 2011, also at home. They will however, back themselves to end that drought factoring in their recent form as well as home advantage.

Eyes are on the prize ahead of the @cricketworldcup 💥#CWC23 pic.twitter.com/xH7KBTEHSI

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 4, 2023

What should further inspire the Indian team is the fact the each of the last three World Cups have been won by host nations — Australia in 2015 and England in 2019, besides India in 2011. The 13th edition of the event is also the first since the inaugural edition in 1975 to not feature the West Indies, who finished fifth in the Super Sixes stage of the Qualifier in Zimbabwe earlier this year. Sri Lanka and Netherlands finished in the top two spots at the end of that stage and sealed their place in the 10-team World Cup.