What are India's semi-final qualification chances after South Africa beat West Indies?

Published - 26 Feb 2026, 20:10 IST | Updated - 26 Feb 2026, 20:48 IST

South Africa may have given a huge heartbreak to Indian fans the last Sunday, but their victory against the West Indies in the clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium has provided a massive boost to the defending champions to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The equation is now pretty simple, as the gates are now wide open for making it to the top four.

India are already playing Zimbabwe, and a win in this contest is a must for them, as they cannot afford any further slip-ups. Their net run-rate has also taken a massive beating after a 76-run loss to the Proteas. The Caribbeans, on the other hand, have a strong hold of the NRR situation, courtesy of their thumping victory over the Sikandar Raza-led side in Mumbai.

The Men in Blue have a clear equation – win both the remaining Super Eights fixtures. A win against the Chevrons in Chennai is a must, and then they will travel to Kolkata with an aim to defeat Shai Hope's men at the Eden Gardens. If India manage to win both the games, they will make a clear entry to the semis, with NRR out of the picture. Four points is all they require. Simple. Easy. No rocket science.

In case Suryakumar Yadav's men commit a goof-up, it will mean that they pray that one of South Africa or the Windies wins all three of their Super Eight matches. In that case, India will have to make sure that they pip Hope & Co. in terms of the NRR by registering a massive victory in the remaining match. This is the toughest path for India to qualify, and they would be hoping that the situation does not arise.

No. India need to register at least one win in their Super Eights campaign to proceed further, since qualifying with no points on the table is simply impossible.

The cricket fans back home will be hoping that Suryakumar leads his troops to wins in both the remaining games, as that would not only be the easiest pathway but also give them the much-needed pump in confidence before moving into the business end of the marquee event.