Asia Cup Super 4 preview: Can Pakistan prove they are second-best Asian team?

There are good days and bad days, and the Asia Cup 2025 has seen extremes on both ends across the 12 match days. Afghanistan, fresh off from the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final high, have been knocked out from the group stage, while India and Pakistan have had incredible on and off-field drama in the only time that they met.

For a continental tournament, which has always been used as a dress rehearsal for bigger things in recent years, what more can you expect? After 12 matches, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have qualified for the Super 4s and will be taking on each other over the next six days. The team with the most points will qualify for the final of the tournament, set to be played on September 28, Sunday.

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Asia Cup 2025: Full coverage

As we said at the beginning, there are good days and bad days. None of the teams has had a perfect run to the final. India and Sri Lanka are the only two teams to have won all of their matches, but they also played poorly against Oman and Hong Kong, respectively.

Against Oman, India struggled with both bat and ball but rose to the occasion at the time of need. On the other hand, Sri Lanka heavily stuttered with the bat against Hong Kong and nearly made a meal of their chase in the Dubai International Stadium on September 15.

Pakistan and Bangladesh, on the other hand, have had their off days against India and Sri Lanka, respectively, but have done enough to secure their position in the top 4 of the tournament.

As we build to the Super 4 stage of the competition, here's what you should expect over the next week of the competition:

India:

vs UAE: Won by 9 wickets

vs Pakistan: Won by 7 wickets

vs Oman: Won by 21 runs

The Indian cricket team experimented heavily in their Friday's match against Oman, so much so that captain Suryakumar Yadav was slotted in at No. 11 and did not come out to bat even after the 8th wicket fell.

India have all of their bases covered and perhaps have the one off-day behind them. Suryakumar Yadav has led admirably, and at full strength, India are the heavy favourites to lift the trophy.

Pakistan:

vs Oman: Won by 93 runs

vs India: Lost by 7 wickets

vs UAE: Won by 41 runs

How is Pakistan even able to focus on cricket? After their handshake saga against India, Pakistan threatened to pull out of the tournament. They garrisoned themselves in their hotel only to make a huge U-turn and return to face the UAE in their final group-stage match of the tournament.

Pakistan's antics meant that an official match was delayed by an hour, and in the banana republic of the Asian Cricket Council, the team was not even fined over disciplinary issues.

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Pakistan and ICC both released two versions of the same statement, perhaps hoping to woo their fanbases.

When Pakistan play India in their first Super 4 match of the tournament, expect some big drama to take place. In the first match, India refused to shake hands; what would Pakistan do now? How would they reply to India? That remains to be seen.

Pakistan's challenges are not limited only to off-field issues. On the field, they look like a toothless team, hoping to gain experience from the tournament. If Pakistan are to prove that they are the second-best team in Asia, they have a lot of work to do.

Bangladesh:

vs Hong Kong: Won by 7 wickets

vs Sri Lanka: Lost by 6 wickets

vs Afghanistan: Won by 8 runs

Bangladesh caused one of the upsets of the tournament by defeating Rashid Khan's Afghanistan. With pitches expected to be conducive to spin in Dubai, Bangladesh would hope to make use of the fact that they play all their games at the same venue in the Super 4 stage of the tournament.

Nasum and Taskin Ahmed are going to be the main threats, but their captain, Litton Das, will need to come to the party as well.

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Sri Lanka:

vs Bangladesh: Won by 6 wickets

vs Hong Kong: Won by 4 wickets

vs Afghanistan: Won by 6 wickets

Sri Lanka are perhaps the real dark horses of this tournament. Under the coaching of the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka have prepared an explosive batting line-up. While the execution is something they still have to work out, on their day, one can expect Sri Lanka to give any team a run for their money, especially in turning conditions.

Asia Cup 2025: Super 4 Schedule

September 20: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh

September 21: India vs Pakistan

September 23: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

September 24: India vs Bangladesh

September 25: Pakistan vs Bangladesh

September 26: India vs Sri Lanka

Who are the favourites for the final?

India are most certainly going to make it to the final. The question remains, who will join them. Will it be Pakistan? Once again, at the centre of a controversy, will they be able to spring a surprise? Or will it be one amongst Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who have the conditions to suit their play?

Remember, though, it is Sri Lanka who are the defending T20 Asia Cup champions, which by the way, happened in the UAE in 2022.

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Which game to look forward to in the Super 4? Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, said Ravi Shastri on the broadcast, ahead of September 20's game.

"I like to see youngsters. Sri Lanka are in a rebuilding stage. They play entertaining cricket. Bangladesh on the other hand can be very unpredictable. I think that Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh will be even stevens, because I think that Super 4 will bring added pressure. Sri Lanka has the tendency to blow hot and cold, and Bangladesh know that," Ravi Shastri said on the broadcaster after India's match against Oman.

- Ends

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