World Cup 2023 Points Table: Rohit Sharma’s Team India began their World Cup 2023 campaign with an impressive six-wicket triumph over Australia in Chennai on Sunday. Despite facing an early setback while chasing a modest target of 200 on a sluggish Chepauk pitch, the Men in Blue demonstrated their prowess by performing exceptionally well throughout the game.
World Cup 2023 Points Table
The action began with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Mitchell Marsh for a duck in his second over. Subsequently, David Warner and Steve Smith stabilized Australia’s innings, but India’s spin trio consisting of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and R Ashwin made significant contributions, collectively taking six wickets and restricting Australia to a total of 199/10 in 49.3 overs.
India, in response, faced a shaky start and were reduced to 2 for 3 in the first two overs. Virat Kohli, who went on to score 85 runs from 116 balls, received a fortunate break when he was on 12, and he later formed a crucial partnership with KL Rahul, adding 165 runs for the fourth wicket.
KL Rahul then assumed the role of the finisher, remaining unbeaten on 97 from 115 balls and earning the title of player of the match. The outstanding performances by both Kohli and Rahul enabled India to successfully complete the chase in 41.2 overs, earning two valuable points and improving their net run-rate (NRR) in the round-robin format of the tournament.
As of now, India occupies the fifth position on the points table for the ICC World Cup 2023.
New Zealand, who will face the Netherlands on Monday, currently leads the table following their convincing nine-wicket victory over defending champions England. The Black Caps will be aiming for a similar result against the underdog Netherlands, who are looking to open their account in the tournament.
Above India in the standings are South Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
South Africa, currently in the second position, displayed a strong performance in their opening match against Sri Lanka, amassing a substantial 428/5 in their 50 overs. Sri Lanka put up a fight but could only manage to score 326/10 in 44.5 overs.
Pakistan also commenced their campaign with an 81-run victory over the Netherlands, although their performance left room for improvement.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in a low-scoring encounter.
