With shocks and upsets galore, including the biggest event in tournament history when the USA beat Pakistan, every match seems to carry more weight than ever before.
The U.S. opens the next round against South Africa on Wednesday, just as they did in the group stage. The Proteas have won four of their four group matches, but they were all close, not the easy wins the standings would suggest. Their top-order has been out of form, and the U.S. will be looking to push world cricket giant South Africa to the finish.
Fellow co-hosts and one of the five pre-tournament favourites, the West Indies, will face former champions England in the second match of the Super Eight stage on Thursday, before India, a lost finalist in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, takes on Afghanistan, now one of the dark horses in the running to win the tournament. Both games will determine the future course of both groups.
By the time England take on South Africa on Friday, one of the big teams could be in the repechage.
Australia have to wait until Friday before the tournament starts and will have to be careful of Bangladesh’s spinners in Antigua. The same, or perhaps even more, is likely to happen when Mitchell Marsh’s Australia take on Afghanistan on Sunday.
The key clash in Group 1 will be between Australia and India in the final round of the Super Eights, a repeat of the 2023 Cricket World Cup and Test Championship finals. This match will determine the first and second places in the group and is likely to determine the seeding order for the semi-finals.
Former champions England will open against the West Indies, then face South Africa in the second and finally the USA, at which point the match between co-hosts England and the Proteas looks a sure thing, unless the USA can pull off an upset against the defending champions.