Asia Cup 2023: India vs Pakistan final hinges on Sri Lanka and rain

India made it through to the Asia Cup final with a 41-run over Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Despite the heroics of 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage, with both bat and ball, India grabbed the crucial moments to end Sri Lanka’s 13-match unbeaten run in ODIs.

This victory saw India move to four points from two games, as they won both their games in the Super 4. Bangladesh, at the other end of the table, have lost both their matches so far and been knocked out. It means the match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is a virtual semi-final.

Bangladesh will take on India in their last match but it will be a dead rubber.

Sri Lanka will take on Babar Azam’s Pakistan in their Super 4 match on Thursday. The defending champions are hoping to benefit from home advantage at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

What will happen if Sri Lanka vs Pakistan is washed out?

If the match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is washed out, the team with the superior net run rate (NRR) will progress to the Asia Cup final. As things stand, Sri Lanka hold an edge over Pakistan in terms of NRR.

India’s 228-run win over Pakistan has pegged the Men in Green back. Sri Lanka, in comparison, gave a stronger account of themselves and ran India close despite what the margin might suggest.

India occupy top spot with a NRR of +2.690, far better than Sri Lanka (-0.200) and Pakistan (-1.892).

So, Babar’s team needs to win this match in order to make it to the final and interestingly, it will then be the first time India will take on Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup.

What is the weather forecast for Colombo for Sri Lanka vs Pakistan match?

The weather forecast for the match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is once again not too bright. However, it is relatively better than what it has been was for the last two Super 4 games.

As per Accuweather, the weather prediction for Colombo is of rain and thunderstorm with 93% chances of showers. Things are expected to be cloudy at the time of toss (3 PM local time) and until two hours later before thunderstorms are expected to break in. Cloud cover is expected to remain but rain is expected to stay away for the rest of the evening.