Asia Cup 2023, Super Fours: Everything you need to know
The group stage of the 2023 Asia Cup is done and dusted! Sri Lanka became the fourth and final entrant in the Super Fours with a thrilling win over Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The Lankans join Bangladesh from Group B, while Pakistan and India are the top two teams from Group A. Here's all you need to know about the Super Fours.
Decoding the Super Four stage
Six teams - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal took part in the Asia Cup that comprised two groups. As per the format, the top two teams from each group will reach the Super Four stage. In the Super Fours, the qualifiers battle it out for the top two spots, which decides the two finalists. A one-off final is conducted thereafter.
Group B: SL, Bangladesh reach Super Fours
After beating Afghanistan by a narrow margin, Sri Lanka became the table toppers of Group B. They finished with two points and a Net Run Rate of +0.594. Second-placed Bangladesh won and lost a match each. They had an NRR of +0.373. While the Afghans have been eliminated, SL, along with Bangladesh have reached the Super Fours.
Group A: Pakistan, India reach Super Fours
On the other hand, Pakistan topped Group B after collecting three points. While rain marred the India-Pakistan clash, the latter thrashed Nepal in the tournament opener. Pakistan finished with an NRR of +4.760. Meanwhile, India finished second with an NRR of +1.028. Like Pakistan, they also beat Nepal by a big margin. Nepal were knocked out without recording a win.
A look at the schedule of Super Fours
September 6: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Lahore, 3pm IST. September 9: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Colombo, 3pm IST. September 10: Pakistan vs India, Colombo, 3pm IST. September 12: India vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 3pm IST. September 14: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 3pm IST. September 15: India vs Bangladesh, Colombo, 3pm IST. September 17: Final (TBC vs TBC), Colombo, 3pm IST.
Here are the notable stats
Sri Lanka entered the 2023 Asia Cup as the defending champions. They won the T20I edition last year after beating Pakistan in a thrilling final. The 50-over Asia Cup was last played in 2018 when India lifted the trophy. India are the most successful side in the Asia Cup in terms of titles (Seven: 1984, 1988, 1990/91, 1995, 2010, 2016, and 2018).
An India-Pakistan final on the cards?
India and Pakistan do not engage in bilateral international series due to political tensions. They only face each other in multilateral tournaments. The first game between them in the 2023 Asia Cup was washed out after India smashed 266, batting first. The two powerhouses will next lock horns on September 10. It remains to be seen if India and Pakistan become the two finalists.
India, Pakistan yet to meet in Asia Cup finals
It is worth noting that India and Pakistan have never clashed in an Asia Cup final. The tournament started back in 1984. On the other hand, India and Sri Lanka have squared off as many as seven times in Asia Cup finals.
