Afghanistan’s recent loss to Sri Lanka in the tournament meant that they would be eliminated from the Asia Cup 2023. The team was within three runs of a victory as they chased a 292 run target, but they fell short.
For the side, it was anything but straightforward. The entire coaching staff and players were reportedly uninformed of the net run rate criteria as Afghanistan’s had to chase the goal in 37.1 overs to secure their triumph.
There were various requirements for each side to prevail. They would have met the requirements if they had scored 294 runs in 37.3 overs. Similar to 295 in 37.4 overs, 296 in 38 overs, and 297 in 38.1 overs, all of these scores would have qualified Afghanistan’s for the Super Four. The NRR of Afghanistan’s and Sri Lanka would have been tied if Afghanistan had scored 295 in 37.5 overs. In such a case, who advances to the following round would ultimately be decided by a coin toss.