Salman Ali Agha walks off with his teammates after Pakistan’s defeat against India in the Asia Cup group stage. PHOTO: AFP
The race to the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025[1] final is heating up, with all four teams still in contention after two games in the Super Four stage.
Bangladesh opened their account with a thrilling win against Sri Lanka, while India outclassed Pakistan on Sunday[2], chasing down 172 in convincing fashion.
That result has left Pakistan in a tricky position. To qualify directly for the final, Salman Ali Agha’s men must beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday and then overcome Bangladesh on Thursday. They would also need India to defeat Bangladesh in their remaining Super Four fixture.
However, if Pakistan lose against Sri Lanka, they will not be knocked out straight away but would then rely heavily on other results. In that scenario, they would need India to beat both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while also defeating Bangladesh themselves by a big margin to stand a chance of reaching the final on net run rate.
For Sri Lanka, a win against Pakistan would strengthen their chances, though they too might still need favorable results to book a spot in the title clash. Bangladesh, after their dramatic win, remain very much in the hunt as well.
The qualification picture will become clearer when Pakistan face Sri Lanka on Tuesday in what is shaping up to be a must-win clash for both sides.
References
- ^ ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (tribune.com.pk)
- ^ India outclassed Pakistan on Sunday (tribune.com.pk)