Asia Cup 2022: 3 teams who could make the final

The 2022 Asia Cup is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka will take on Afghanistan in the tournament opener at the Dubai International Stadium.

India have been the most successful team in the history of the tournament, winning seven titles. Sri Lanka are next with five wins, while Pakistan have won the trophy twice.

Six teams will be part of the 2022 edition – Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

On that note, here's a look at three teams who could make the final in the upcoming edition.

#3 Afghanistan

Afghanistan have had a solid T20 team over the past few years, with some of their players gracing T20 leagues around the world. So Afghanistan have an outside chance of reaching the final on September 11.

They have been clubbed alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Group B, which could be termed the tougher group, with two teams from each group to qualify for the next round.

Afghanistan come into the tournament off a 3-2 series defeat against Ireland, but they had blanked Zimbabwe in a three-T20I series before that and drew 1-1 with Bangladesh.

Should they get the better of Sri Lanka in their tournament opener, expect them to go deep in the competition.

#2 Pakistan (Two-time Asia Cup winner)

Pakistan are in Group A with India and Hong Kong and are hot favourites to qualify for the Super 4. The Men in Green came out on top in last year’s T20I World Cup encounter against India. That makes them the favourites to beat their arch-rivals once again.

Pakistan also made the semifinals of the T20 World Cup last year. They will want to build on to that by winning the Asia Cup to stake their claim for the 2022 extravaganza later this year.

#1 India (Seven-time Asia Cup winner)

While India were poor in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, they are approaching the 2022 edition with a much-revamped approach. So they could be considered favourites to make the Asia Cup final.

The Men in Blue have employed a slam-bang approach under new captain Rohit Sharma. They will enter the continental tournament with nothing but the title in sight.

They will, in all likelihood, qualify for the Super 4 stage. If they maintain their newfound approach in the format, expect them to go all the way to the final. India will eye an eighth title in the competition to build confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

About the author

Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.

Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.

Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.

Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.

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