World Cup 2023 Points Table: New Zealand move back to top after thrashing Afghanistan in Chennai

Oct 19, 2023 - 01:30

0 20

World Cup 2023 Points Table: New Zealand move back to top after thrashing Afghanistan in Chennai

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. They would follow it up with an eight-wicket thrashing of Afghanistan in Delhi, and would move to the top with a seven-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in Ahmedabad.

In the most recent fixture that took place on Wednesday, 18 October, New Zealand hammered Afghanistan by 149 runs to collect their fourth win of the campaign and move back to the top spot.

Half-centuries from Glenn Phillips (71), skipper Tom Latham (68) and Will Young (54) helped the Kiwis post 288/6 while Lockie Ferguson (3/19) and Mitchell Santner’s (3/39) three-fors helped them bowl Afghanistan out for a meagre 139.

Here’s a detailed look at the ICC World Cup 2023 points table (updated as of 19 October at 9.30 pm):

Position	Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	NRR	Points
1	New Zealand	4	4	0	0	0	+1.923	8
2	India	3	3	0	0	0	+1.821	6
3	South Africa	3	2	1	0	0	+1.385	4
4	Pakistan	2	2	0	0	0	-0.137	4
5	England	3	1	2	0	0	-0.084	2
6	Bangladesh	3	1	2	0	0	-0.699	2
7	Australia	3	1	2	0	0	-0.734	2
8	Netherlands	3	1	2	0	0	-0.993	2
9	Afghanistan	4	1	3	0	0	-1.250	2
10	Sri Lanka	3	0	3	0	0	-1.532	0

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.