KATHMANDU – After the completion of 11 group-stage matches in the Asia Cup, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super 4 stage.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan in Group B, paving the way for Bangladesh to enter the next round. India and Pakistan qualified from Group A.
Sri Lanka helped Bangladesh qualify. In Thursday’s match in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan batted first and scored 169 runs. Sri Lanka needed 101 runs to qualify. The team surpassed that score and won the match in the 19th over.
In Group B, Sri Lanka secured its Super 4 spot with six points after winning three consecutive matches. Had Sri Lanka scored 101 runs but lost, Afghanistan would have qualified, and Bangladesh would have been eliminated due to an inferior run rate. But Sri Lanka’s victory confirmed Bangladesh’s entry into the Super 4.
India’s first match was against Pakistan on Wednesday, which confirmed Pakistan’s qualification from Group A. The next India–Pakistan clash will take place on Sunday in Dubai. India will play Bangladesh on Wednesday and Sri Lanka on Friday. The top two teams from the Super 4 will face off in the final on September 28 in Dubai.
The last group-stage match between India and Oman will be held in Abu Dhabi on Friday at 8:15 PM Nepali time. As India has already qualified, the result will not affect the standings. Therefore, it is believed that India may give opportunities to new players.
