Can New Zealand’s NRR fall below Pakistan’s if South Africa wins?

South Africa scored a mammoth 357-4 after being asked to bat first by New Zealand in the World Cup clash on Wednesday in Pune.

Pakistan ended their four-match losing streak in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with a resounding seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.

This crucial win propelled Pakistan to the fifth spot on the points table, accumulating six points from three wins out of seven matches. While Pakistan remains in contention for a semi-final spot, they face a challenging road ahead.

New Zealand are currently on the third spot in the points table with eight points. For Pakistan to surpass them, they must not only win against New Zealand but also hope for a significant difference in run rate, provided both teams finish with ten points.

New Zealand's net run rate is currently +1.232, while Pakistan's is -0.024. New Zealand's net run rate cannot fall below Pakistan's even if South Africa beats them in the aforementioned clash.

The best that Pakistan can hope for is to equal New Zealand's net run rate if the Kiwis are bowled out for 0, chasing 358 runs. Since it is an almost impossible scenario, so it is safe to say that New Zealand's net run rate will remain above Pakistan's after Wednesday's match.

New Zealand's NRR can not fall below Pakistan's after today's match. It can equal with Pakistan (-0.024), if NZ get bowled out for 0.

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) November 1, 2023

New Zealand’s next World Cup match is against Pakistan on Saturday in Bengaluru.