All the teams are seeking momentum in the ongoing Asia Cup T20 2016, ahead of the ICC World T20, which starts from March 8 in India.
India, by far, have been the best side of the tournament, having beaten Bangladesh and Pakistan in their first two games. If they manage to defeat Sri Lanka, Tuesday, they will virtually book their place in the big final of the tournament.
UAE is out of contention, after losing all three of their games -- against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They will play their final match against India Thursday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
The hosts Bangladesh are placed second with a positive net run rate with one loss and two wins. Their 51 run win against UAE and 23-run victory against Sri Lanka helped them improve their net run rate. Bangladesh still have one more game to play against Pakistan, Wednesday, which is a huge game for them.
Sri Lanka are struggling to make a mark in this edition of the Asia Cup. They registered a narrow victory against UAE in their first game of the tournament, and then they could not carry on with their momentum, losing to the hosts in their second match of Asia Cup 2016. Their chances of qualifying for the final will depend on their results against India and Pakistan. Lasith Malinga and co. have a huge task at hand.
Pakistan started off with a five-wicket defeat against the upbeat India in their first game of the Asia Cup. The Shahid Afridi-led Pakistan bounced back strongly against UAE, handing them a seven-wicket loss, Monday. They still have two more games to go and the Pakistan players will feel they can make it to the final of the Asia Cup. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the two opponents that Pakistan will have to deal with in their next two games.
Here is the updated points table of the Asia Cup T20 2016:
| Team | Match | Won | Lost | Tie | RR | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +2.20 | 8 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +0.45 | 6 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.29 | 2 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.46 | 2 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1.81 | 0 |
Here is the last remaining schedule of the tournament:
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Date: March 4
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur
