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Group B goes down to the wire as Sri Lanka take on Afghanistan on September 18. A win guarantees Sri Lanka a Super Four spot, but net run rate could also decide the outcome. Bangladesh’s fate hangs in the balance, making this a high-stakes clash.
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UAE beat Oman by 42 runs in Abu Dhabi in the first of the twin Asia Cup clashes on Monday (15). The result meant that India secured a place in the Super Four with a match in hand while making the UAE-Pakistan clash on September 17 a virtual knockout.
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India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup on Sunday as the neighbours met for the first time since a military conflict between them in May, but tensions simmered after the match as India’s players left the field without shaking hands.
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The Group A match in Dubai is the first clash on the cricket field between the countries since a military conflict four months ago took relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours to their lowest point in decades.
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Sri Lanka step into the 2025 Asia Cup with a sense of genuine optimism and memories of 2022, when the islanders stunned the cricketing world to lift the trophy. Former chairman of team selectors Pramodya Wickremasinghe believes the current squad is well equipped to repeat that achievement.