Afghanistan missed a crucial opportunity to advance to the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2023 due to their unawareness of the net run-rate rules. The pivotal moment came during their match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday in Lahore.
As the 37th over concluded, Rashid Khan’s consecutive boundaries left Afghanistan needing just three runs from a single ball to secure their place in the Super Four stage. This equation was well-known throughout the stadium and within the Afghanistan dressing room. Therefore, when Mujeeb ur Rahman was dismissed on the first ball of the 38th over, it appeared that Afghanistan had given up hope. Hence, the next batter, Fazalhaq Farooqi, played cautiously, blocking the next two deliveries before being trapped lbw on the fourth delivery, ultimately ending Afghanistan’s innings and granting Sri Lanka the qualification.
What makes this situation even more intriguing is that Afghanistan had an alternative path to the Super 4 stage. Had they managed to level the score at 291 and hit a six in the 38th over, their total would have reached 297 and they would have qualified. Unfortunately, it seems they were unaware of this possibility at the time.
Additionally, if Afghanistan had scored 295 runs by the 37.5th ball, both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’s net run rates would have been tied. In such a scenario, a coin toss would have determined which team progressed to the Super 4 stage.
