The group stage of the Asia Cup 2025 has reached a thrilling climax, with teams fiercely competing for coveted spots in the Super 4s.
Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha, Bangladesh’s Liton Das, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka in action. (Image: X)
Group B’s Intense Battle:
In Group B, the competition is particularly intense, with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan all vying for the two available qualification spots. Hong Kong has already been eliminated after three defeats.
Bangladesh significantly boosted their chances with a crucial victory over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, bringing them level on points with Sri Lanka. Currently, Sri Lanka leads the group with four points from two matches. Bangladesh also has four points but has completed all their group games. Afghanistan, with two points, still has one crucial match left against Sri Lanka.
This upcoming clash between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka is essentially a knockout game. If Sri Lanka wins, they will comfortably advance to the Super 4s alongside Bangladesh. However, if Afghanistan manages to defeat the defending champions, all three teams (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan) will end up with four points. In such a scenario, the net run rate will become the deciding factor for determining which two teams progress.
Bangladesh finds itself in a precarious position here. Their net run rate currently stands at -0.270, significantly lower than Afghanistan’s impressive +2.150 and Sri Lanka’s +1.546. This means that if Afghanistan pulls off a victory against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh is almost certainly out of the tournament, despite accumulating four points.
Group A’s Decisive Match:
Over in Group A, India has already punched its ticket to the Super 4s with two dominant performances. They effortlessly dispatched UAE in under 18 overs and then secured a comfortable seven-wicket win against arch-rivals Pakistan. Oman, on the other hand, has been knocked out after suffering consecutive defeats.
Therefore, the match between Pakistan and UAE on September 17th is a direct shootout for the second Super 4 spot from Group A. A victory for Pakistan will see them progress with India. If UAE manages to spring an upset, they will qualify instead. Should the match end in a tie or be a no-result, net run rate would once again come into play, with Pakistan currently holding an advantage over UAE.
This Asia Cup promises plenty of thrilling cricket as teams battle it out for supremacy!