Who would have thought that in the Asia Cup, Bangladeshi fans would end up supporting Sri Lanka? The answer is simple, hardly anyone.
Despite a rivalry that has built up over the last seven years, Bangladeshi fans are now rooting for Sri Lanka to beat Afghanistan, as their Super Four hopes largely rest in the hands of the Lankans. Win or lose, it’s a scenario Bangladesh is now praying for.
Even though Bangladesh won their opening match against Hong Kong, their net run rate took a hit after losing to Sri Lanka. It dropped to -1.006, but after Tuesday’s win against Afghanistan, it improved slightly to -0.270.
Earlier, a victory over Hong Kong had put Bangladesh ahead of Afghanistan’s net run rate. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, with two consecutive wins and 4 points, tops Group B, but their net run rate (1.546) is still behind Afghanistan’s (2.150).
With a negative net run rate, Bangladesh’s Super Four fate now depends on Sri Lanka. On 18 September in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan will face Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh will be hoping for a Lankan victory—but there are some calculations involved, as net run rate is the key factor.
Bangladesh still has a path to the Super Four in two ways:
- If Sri Lanka beats Afghanistan, the Lankans will take Bangladesh through to the Super Four.
- If Afghanistan bats first, Bangladesh can still qualify if Afghanistan beats Sri Lanka by at least 65 runs, which would improve Bangladesh’s net run rate.
Alternatively, if Afghanistan is chasing, regardless of the total runs scored by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will have a chance if Afghanistan finishes the chase with 50 balls to spare.
However, if Sri Lanka loses to Afghanistan, all three teams will have 4 points. In that case, Afghanistan will automatically qualify for the Super Four due to a superior net run rate. Then, the spot between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will go to whichever team has the better net run rate.
