Explained: How can India still make it to the final of Asia Cup 2022 after loss against Pakistan?

Pakistan ended India's unbeaten run in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (September 05) with a five-wicket win against their arch-rivals in their Super Four opener. India had kicked off their campaign with a thrilling five-wicket win against Pakistan in the group stage before beating Hong Kong comprehensively in their next game to qualify for the Super Four.

However, their winning streak was snapped by Pakistan on Sunday as the Men in Green avenged their group-stage defeat by chasing down the target of 182 runs in a last-over thriller in Dubai. Pakistan took a step closer to the final with the victory while India have been pushed to the brink of an early exit.

India still have two games remaining in the Super Four and are pretty much in contention to still make it to the final. However, they cannot afford anymore slip-ups in their remaining two matchesagainst Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. A defeat will all but end India's hopes of reaching the all-important final. Here we take a look at the permutations and combinations that can decide India's fate in the tournament.

How can India make it to Asia Cup 2022 final?

India's next two matches against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are both must-win encounters for Rohit Sharma's men. If they lose any of the two games, they will be all but out of contention for the final. A defeat against Sri Lanka in their next game will be catastrophic as it will straightaway confirm India's exit from the tournament.

Sri Lanka won their first Super Four game against Afghanistan last week and are the best-placed along with Pakistan at present to enter the final of the competition. However, in cricket, nothing is predictable and it takes little time for the tides to turn.

In the best scenario, India will aim to win their remaining two matches against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan while hoping that both teams go on to lose their respective matches against Pakistan. If Pakistan win all three and, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan lose their remaining two games, it will set up another high-octane India-Pakistan content in the final.

However, India might not still be guaranteed a spot in the final if they win both their remaining matches as the net run rate will come into play if Sri Lanka manages to beat Pakistan after losing against the Men in Blue. In that scenario, both India and Sri Lanka will have two wins and the team with the best net run rate will make it to the summit clash.

Afghanistan too remain in contention to reach the final, but they will have to beat both India and Pakistan in their remaining two games. However, a defeat against Afghanistan will confirm India's exit from the tournament. India will be looking towinning their remaining two must-win games and hope for the odds to go in their favour if it boils down to the net run rate.