The Asia Cup 2023, co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is a cricket tournament that features six teams from the Asian continent. The tournament, which is played in the fifty-overs format, started on August 30 and will end on September 17. The six teams are divided into two groups of three teams each. Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are in Group B⁵.
The group stage matches were followed by the Super 4s, which began on September 6. The Super 4s stage consists of four teams that qualified from the group stage. The top two teams from each group advanced to the Super 4s. The teams are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The Super 4s matches are played in a round-robin format, where each team plays against every other team once. The top two teams at the end of the Super 4s will play in the final on September 17 in Colombo.
The Super 4s stage has seen some exciting and competitive matches so far. Here is a summary of the Super 4s matches that have been played and are yet to be played:
- Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Super Fours, 1st Match): This match was played on September 6 in Lahore. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. They posted a challenging total of 287 for 7 in 50 overs, thanks to a brilliant century by Babar Azam (112 off 108 balls) and a quick-fire fifty by Mohammad Rizwan (59 off 34 balls. Bangladesh's chase was derailed by some tight bowling from Pakistan's spinners, especially Shadab Khan (3 for 38) and Imad Wasim (2 for 41). Bangladesh were bowled out for 231 in 46.2 overs, giving Pakistan a comfortable win by 56 runs. Babar Azam was declared the player of the match for his superb batting performance.
- Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (Super Fours, 2nd Match): This match is currently in progress as of writing this article. The match started on September 9 in Colombo. Bangladesh won the toss and decided to field first. Sri Lanka have scored 67 for 1 in 14.3 overs, with Avishka Fernando (35 not out) and Kusal Perera (25 not out) at the crease. The match is expected to resume soon after a rain interruption.
- Pakistan vs India (Super Fours, 3rd Match): This match will take place on September 10 in Colombo. This will be the most anticipated match of the tournament, as it will feature the arch-rivals India and Pakistan. The last time these two teams met in an ODI was in the Asia Cup 2018, where India won by nine wickets. Both teams have some star players in their ranks, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali. The match is expected to be a high-octane affair with a lot of passion and intensity from both sides.
- India vs Sri Lanka (Super Fours, 4th Match): This match will take place on September 12 in Colombo. This will be another interesting match, as it will feature the hosts Sri Lanka and the defending champions India. Both teams have a rich history of playing against each other in ODIs, with India having a slight edge over Sri Lanka with 91 wins out of 159 matches. However, Sri Lanka have shown some improvement in recent times, especially after winning the T20I series against India in July this year. Both teams have some talented players who can make an impact, such as Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dushmantha Chameera.
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka (Super Fours, 5th Match): This match will take place on September 14 in Colombo. This will be another crucial match, as it will determine the fate of both teams in the tournament. Both teams have a balanced squad with some experienced and young players. Pakistan have a slight advantage over Sri Lanka with 92 wins out of 155 matches in ODIs. However, Sri Lanka have shown some resilience and fight in recent matches, especially after beating South Africa in an ODI series in August this year. Both teams have some key players who can change the game, such as Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Shaheen Afridi, Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka and Akila Dananjaya.
- India vs Bangladesh (Super Fours, 6th Match): This match will take place on September 15 in Colombo. This will be the last match of the Super 4s stage, and it could be a decisive one for both teams. Both teams have a competitive rivalry in ODIs, with India having a slight edge over Bangladesh with 34 wins out of 37 matches. However, Bangladesh have shown some courage and skill in recent matches, especially after beating New Zealand in a T20I series in September this year. Both teams have some explosive players who can entertain the fans, such as Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahim.
The Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s stage is set to provide some thrilling and exciting matches for the cricket fans.The fans can also follow the live scores and updates of the matches on these websites. The Asia Cup 2023 is a showcase of the best cricketing talent in Asia, and it is a tournament that every cricket lover should not miss.
