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Asia Cup 2022: Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 1 wicket, India knocked out of final

Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed plays a shot during the Asia Cup Twenty20 international cricket Super Four match between Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. (AFP)

The result meant that India and Afghanistan are out of reckoning for the final to be played on Sunday as they are winless from two matches. With four points each, Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for the title clash.

India's fate had slipped out of their hands after the defeat against Sri Lanka and any faint hopes remaining were snuffed out with Pakistan snatching victory against Afghanistan in the final over in a Super 4 match that could have gone either way.

After convincing wins over arch-rivals Pakistan and Hong Kong in the group matches, India looked clueless in the Super 4 stage. They lost to Pakistan by five wickets and then slumped to a six-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in a close match.

Despite the losses, India still had a mathematical chance to qualify for Sunday's final if Afghanistan had beaten Pakistan on Wednesday. Besides, India were also required to beat Afghanistan by a big margin on Thursday and for Sri Lanka to do a favour by beating Pakistan on Friday.

Invited to bat, Afghanistan posted 129 for six with Ibrahim Zadran top-scoring with a 37-ball 35.

Pakistan chased down the target with four balls to spare, reaching 131 for 9 in 19.2 overs.

Shadab Khan top-scored for Pakistan with 36 while Iftikhar Ahmed made 30.

For Afghanistan, Fareed Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets apiece while Rashid Khan got two.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan: 129 for 6 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 35; Haris Rauf 2/26).

Pakistan: 131 for 9 in 19.2 overs (Shadab Khan 36, Iftikhar Ahmed 30; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3/31, Fareed Ahmad 3/31, Rashid Khan 2/25).

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