Team India made its life tough in ongoing Asia Cup 2022 after being outplayed by arch-rivals Pakistan in their first game at Super-4 stage on September 4 (Sunday). Virat Kohli's incredible 60-run knock went in vain as Pakistan batters held their nerve in a thrilling encounter to seal the game in the last over of the match at Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan continued his top-form in the continental tournament as he scored blitz 71 off 51 deliveries with the help of six boundaries and two maximums. Apart from Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz (42 off 20), Khushdil Shah (14 off 11), and Asif Ali's 16-run cameo at the end helped their side to clinch the game. While Team India was undefeated in the group stage of the tournament, Rohit Sharm's team lost their first game of the Super-4 stage.
How can India qualify for final?
The scenario for Team India is simple. Win both the matches by a good margin and qualify for the finals. The defending champions will be up against Sri Lanka on September 6 followed by a clash against Afghanistan on September 8. A defeat in either of the two will put an end to India's challenge.
The NRR will come into play if Sri Lanka manages to beat Pakistan. Men in Blue have an NRR of -0.126, with Sri Lanka (+0.589) and Pakistan (+0.126) ahead in the points table with two points each.
With one win each, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have the best chance to qualify for the final. Sri Lanka will next play against India followed by a game against Pakistan on September 9. If they manage to win both, they will through to the finals. If they lose a game against India and win vs Pakistan, then the NRR will come into play. And if they lose both, then they will be all but out. The same is the case with Pakistan. They will play Afghanistan (September 7) and Sri Lanka on September 9.