ACC: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan lead early standing

ISLAMABAD: The ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup continued to take shape on Sunday as the early leaders in both groups (A and B) strengthened their positions, while others struggled to keep their campaigns alive.

ACC Group-A standings

In Group A of the ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Bangladesh-A topped the table after a dominant opening win, securing 2 points with an impressive +7.195 NRR. Afghanistan-A followed closely with 2 points as well, though with a modest +0.122 NRR. Sri Lanka-A, slipped to third after suffering a narrow defeat, despite showing promise. They hold a negative –0.122 NRR, while Hong Kong-A found themselves at the bottom with a steep –7.195 NRR.

In Group B, India-A led the standings with a commanding along with their +7.400 NRR. Their standing is reflecting a clinical all-round performance. The arch-rival of India, Pakistan-A also made a strong start, securing 2 points with a healthy +2.000 NRR.

Oman-A, with one win and one loss from two outings, remained in contention at third place with 2 points but a poor –0.975 NRR after their nail-biting last-ball victory against the UAE. Meanwhile, UAE-A faced an early setback in the tournament, losing both their matches and sitting at the bottom of Group B with 0 points and an NRR of –3.725.

As the group stage progresses, the competition intensifies with slim margins and high stakes. The next round of matches is expected to further shape the semifinal race, with every result now vital for survival in the 14-match tournament.