Here Is How India Can Still Qualify for Asia Cup Final

Sri Lanka defeated defending champions India in the third Super 4 match of the Asia Cup on Tuesday. The nail-biting thriller that went down to the penultimate ball of the match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

A brief summary

After being sent in to bat first, India set a 174-run target for confident Sri Lanka on the back of skipper Rohit Sharma’s 41-ball 72.

In reply, Sri Lanka took a blistering start to the innings and were 97/0 at the moment, thanks to Kusal Mendis’ 51. However, they lost 4 wickets in quick succession, giving India hope that they can still take the game away from the Islanders.

That was when Rajapaksa walked in. He along with Dasun Shanaka stitched together an unbeaten 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket and saw Sri Lanka home.

The heart-breaking defeat was India’s second in the Super 4 round. They had lost another tense finish against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

The defeat has put Men in Blue in the second last position on the table. However, not everything has been lost for India in this tournament – not mathematically.

So, can India still qualify for the final of the Asia Cup?

The short answer to this question is yes.

How? Let’s find out.

Chances of India Qualifying for Asia Cup Final

The main hurdle between India and the Asia Cup final is Pakistan once again. India’s chances of qualifying for the final depend upon the result of tomorrow’s match between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If Pakistan lose their next two games against Afghanistan (Wednesday) and Sri Lanka (Friday) with margins, and India defeat Afghanistan with an even bigger margin on Thursday, then they have a chance of qualifying for the final

The equation would still depend upon an NRR. India can improve their run rate by defeating Afghanistan by a great margin on Thursday.

So, Indian fans should start praying already.