Pakistan face a must-win scenario ahead of their final Super Six match against India on Saturday, with qualification for the last four hanging in the balance.
The victory of England in Friday’s match over New Zealand means only one of India or Pakistan will progress to the semifinals.
India currently hold the advantage, sitting on six points with a healthy net run rate (NRR) of 3.337, while Pakistan have four points and an NRR of 1.484.
Despite the significant gap in net run rate, Pakistan remain in contention if they secure a big victory against India.
If Pakistan bat first and score 300 runs, they would need to win by at least 85 runs to overtake India on NRR.
Alternatively, if they bowl first and restrict India to 200, Pakistan would need to chase the target in approximately 31.5 overs. In the case of a 251-run target, the chase would need to be completed in around 33.2 overs.
While the requirements are demanding, Pakistan can draw confidence from recent history. The two sides last met in the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup, where Pakistan registered a commanding 191-run victory over India.