Following their impressive victory over Afghanistan in Match 16 of the Cricket World Cup 2023, New Zealand has surpassed India to claim the top spot on the ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table.

Earlier, despite both teams having six points, India was on top due to their superior Net Run Rate (NRR).

What does NRR stand for? Later on in this article, we will provide an explanation. Firstly, let us provide you with more information about the World Cup Points Table system and its functioning. 

As mentioned earlier, New Zealand is currently leading the table with 8 points, having won all 4 matches played in the World Cup thus far.

India is currently in second place with a total of 6 points. Despite losing to the Netherlands, South Africa currently holds the third position in the table, with Pakistan following closely behind.

England is currently in fifth place, while Bangladesh is in sixth place. Australia had a rough start, losing two consecutive games. However, they managed to turn things around and emerged victorious in their latest match, propelling them to the seventh position.

The last three spots are occupied by Netherlands, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, in that order.

How is this World Cup Points Table decided?

The points table system operates in a straightforward manner. Typically, the teams that have the highest number of wins are positioned at the top, while those with fewer points are ranked below. Each team can earn two points for every win.

If there is a tie, both teams will receive one point each. Similarly, in the event of a game being cancelled due to rain, the situation remains the same. 

Therefore, the number of points largely determines the placement of teams in the table. For example, New Zealand has won all four matches and is currently in first place. 

But what if more than two eams have the same number of points?

To understand this scenario, let's refer to the current World Cup points table. Prior to their victory over Afghanistan on Wednesday, New Zealand held the second position in the table, having accumulated 6 points from 3 matches.

India and another team were tied for the lead, having earned the same number of points in the same number of matches. The reason Men In Blue jumped to the top was their superior Net Run Rate (NRR). 

Can India remain undefeated at #CWC23 or will Bangladesh stun the hosts in Pune? 👀#INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/1pGdrbu1ty

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 19, 2023

How is the NRR calculated?

While many fans engage in discussions about NRR in multi-nation tournaments, not many are aware of how it is calculated.

Here is the mathematical calculation: The Net Run Rate is calculated by subtracting the average runs per over scored against a team in each game from the average runs per over scored by that team in each game.

To calculate the average runs scored per over by a team, divide the total runs scored in all matches of the tournament by the total number of overs played by that team.