/skyfair-news/media/agency_attachments/9rkuzSNg4i8sCUVbaBqx.png)
/skyfair-news/media/media_files/fYHL36ci35eq6C36IWaV.png)
England (Source: Twitter)
England came into the tournament as the defending champions and was one of the hot favourites to win the ODI World Cup 2023, but it has turned out to be one of the forgettable tournaments for them. England lost the first match against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad at that point everyone was of the view that it was just a blip and they would make a comeback.
England’s 137 runs win against Bangladesh in their second match again gave their fans the confidence that the defending champions are back, but after that, it has been all a downward slide for them. They lost five matches on the trot and that too with big margins which proved to be the major reason for their downfall.
But what made it worse for England is that such a bad campaign not only brought disrepute for them but also put their Champions Trophy 2025 chances in jeopardy. The top 8 teams of the ODI World Cup 2023 will qualify for the Champions Trophy. At this stage, England is sitting in the 7th spot with a match to go. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands are the only teams that are below England in the points table.
- If England wins against Pak: If England manages to win against Pakistan in their last league match, they will seal their spot for the Champions Trophy irrespective of the results of other matches.
- If England loses to Pak: However, if England loses against Pakistan, then they will hope that either Bangladesh or Netherlands lose their last league match against Australia and India. This will ensure that England stays at either the 7th or 8th spot on the points table which will ensure their berth in the Champions Trophy 2025.
England’s last chance to redeem themselves
England will face Pakistan at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the 44th match of the ODI World Cup which will be their last chance to redeem themselves and secure their qualification in the Champions Trophy 2025, At the same time, Pakistan will be out there to make the most of whatever glimmer of hope they have of making it to the semi-finals.