Afghanistan must defeat Sri Lanka to secure a place in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025.
Their hopes suffered a major setback after a narrow eight-run loss to Bangladesh, throwing Group B into a tense scramble for Super Four qualification. Once favorites to advance, Afghanistan now face a must-win scenario in their final group match.
Asia Cup; So far, Afghanistan have played two matches, winning one and losing one. In their opening game against Hong Kong, the Rashid Khan-led side batted first and posted 188/9. Sediqullah Atal contributed 73 runs, Azmatullah Omarzai added 53, and Mohammad Nabi chipped in 33. Hong Kong struggled in response, managing only 94/9 in 20 overs, with Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib picking up two wickets each to seal a 94-run victory for Afghanistan.
Asia Cup: In their second encounter, Bangladesh batted first, posting 154/5, with Tanzid Hasan scoring 52 and Saif Hassan contributing 30. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad took two wickets apiece. Despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 35 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s 30, Afghanistan fell short by eight runs, finishing at 146 in a disappointing defeat.
Asia Cup: How Can Afghanistan Qualify for the Super Four After Losing to [Team]? Explained
After their recent defeat, Afghanistan have just two points from their first two matches, making a victory over Sri Lanka crucial. Meanwhile, Bangladesh have won two of their last three games. The battle for the remaining two Super Four spots is now between Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, as Hong Kong has already been eliminated.
Asia Cup: This sets up the Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka clash on September 18 as a virtual knockout for Afghanistan. If Sri Lanka wins by any margin, they will top the group with six points, while Bangladesh would secure the second spot.
If Afghanistan manage to defeat Sri Lanka, all three teams would be tied on four points. In that scenario, net run rate (NRR) becomes the deciding factor. Afghanistan currently have the strongest NRR, meaning any win would boost their position and guarantee a Super Four berth.
Asia Cup: However, Sri Lanka are also in a strong position due to their healthy NRR. They would only be at risk of elimination if Afghanistan beats them by more than 70 runs or successfully chases their target with over 50 balls remaining.
