Asia Cup 2023: Highlights So Far and What to Expect Ahead?

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Super Four Stage of the Asia Cup 2023 has reached an interesting stage with India defeating both Pakistan and Sri Lanka on successive days and the Men in Blue will now face Bangladesh on Friday (September 15).

With this victory, the Men in Blue have qualified for the final on Sunday (September 17), and Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be going loggerheads on Thursday (September 14) to become India's opposition in the summit clash.

Before we start the last three matches of the tournament, let us take a look at the top few things that have already happened and the expectations from the rest of the tournament.

#5 Nepal makes an uneventful debut at the 2023 Asia Cup

Nepal made its first-ever appearance at the tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council and the debutants were paired up with India and Pakistan in Group A.

While the other five nations involved in the tournament, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India decided to use the Asia Cup as the perfect preparation for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, this was the biggest tournament Nepal was involved in the year and they gave their all against the Asian powerhouses.

In the first match, Babar Azam led Pakistan from the front and took his side from 124/4 in 27.5 overs to 342/6 in 50 overs. The skipper played an enormous innings of 151 runs off 131 balls while Iftikhar Ahmed scored his maiden international century, scoring 109 runs off 71 balls.

In reply, Nepal could only put up 104 runs on the scoreboard as Shadab Khan went through the Nepalese lower order after their top order was dismantled by the dangerous Pakistani seam trio.

In the second match against India, Nepal posted a respectable total of 230 runs courtesy of a brilliant opening partnership between Kushal Bhurtel and Assif Sheikh while Dipendra Singh and Sompal Kami contributed valuable runs towards the latter half of the innings.

After rain poured down in Pallekele, India was asked to chase 145 runs in 23 overs courtesy of the D/L Method and the opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill ensured there were no hiccups as India wrapped up a 10-wicket win.

#4 Afghanistan suffers due to lack of knowledge

In Group B, things were a little tighter as Afghanistan was in a situation where they could have made it to the Super Four Stage if they chased down a target of 292 runs inside 37.1 overs against Sri Lanka.

After a poor start that saw them lose the top three batters by the start of the ninth over, Rahmat Shah and skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi re-built the innings courtesy of a 71-run partnership in 63 balls.

Mohammad Nabi came in to bat next and scored 65 runs off 32 balls smashing six fours and five maximums to take the Afghans closer to the target.

With Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran, and Rashid Khan playing important cameos, the situation was down to 3 runs needed off a single delivery but Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out to Dhanajaya de Silva.

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott and the rest of the support staff had no idea that if the Afghans managed to score 296 by 37.5 overs, they would still qualify but the lack of knowledge meant doom for the side and Fazalhaq Farooqi's dismissal saw the Afghans marching out of the tournament prematurely.

#3 India defeats Pakistan on the reserve day

In a tournament that will be remembered for its scheduling mishaps, the ACC took an interesting decision to allow the India-Pakistan match to have a reserve day for the Super Four stage encounter, a luxury afforded to no other fixture as none of the other matchups bring umpteen amounts of broadcasting and sponsorship revenue for the boards involved.

Only 24.1 overs were bowled on Sunday (September 10) as the rest of the day was washed out with overnight batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul resuming their innings on the reserve day (Monday, September 11).

And the duo of Kohli and Rahul hit centuries of the top order helping India post a mammoth total of 356 runs with Kohli scoring 122 runs off 94 balls while Rahul put 111 runs on the board off 106 balls.

In reply, the Pakistani batters were no match for the Indian bowlers as Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Shardul Thakur took a wicket apiece before Kuldeep Yadav's five-wicket haul decided the match in favor of the Men in Blue.

Kohli was awarded the Man of the Match for his excellent innings which marked his 47th ODI century and also helped him reach 13000 runs in the format, the fastest batter to achieve the feat.

#2 Spin rules the roost in the India v Sri Lanka Encounter

After batting first, India put 213 runs on the board courtesy of a half-century from skipper Rohit Sharma and valuable contributions from Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul as Dunith Wellalage took a five-wicket haul followed by Charith Asalanka taking four wickets.

Axar Patel held one end and ensured India crossed the 200-run mark but gave his wicket away in the 50th over to Maheesh Theekshana marking it as the first occasion when India lost all 10 wickets to spinners in an ODI match.

After an early outburst from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the Lankans found themselves at 25/3 and three more wickets were taken by Kuldeep and Jadeja as Sri Lanka found itself in a hole at 99/6.

Wellalage was the hero for the Lankan Lions with the ball in hand and the southpaw did it with the bat as well stitching a 63-run partnership with de Silva bringing their side back into the match but Jadeja broke the momentum by dismissing the experienced de Silva.

The bowling all-rounder was stuck at one end as Kuldeep and Hardik Pandya dismissed the last three wickets in the space of five deliveries as India wrapped up a 41-run win to seal their place in the final of the 2023 Asia Cup.

#1 Pakistan to face Sri Lanka on September 14 in a virtual semi-final

Pakistan marred by the injuries of Haris Rauf (ruled out of the tournament) and Naseem Shah (a major doubt for Thursday's fixture) will be facing Sri Lanka on Thursday in a virtual semi-final as both sides have already defeated Bangladesh and lost to India in the Super Four Stage.

The batting might of Pakistan's top order will be tested by a well-balanced Sri Lankan side ready for any challenge and will be the talk of the town ahead of Thursday's fixture in Colombo.

On Friday (September 15), India would be looking ahead to resting a few faces and giving chances to Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Mohammad Shami against Bangladesh as the Men in Blue will get gear up for the all-important final on Sunday (September 17) before travelling back to India for a 3-match ODI series against Australia.

The article is written by Mohak Arora, Sports Expert, Parimatch brand - a global leader and #1 trusted global igaming company.