Can Tigers benefit from the India-Pakistan final hype?

One glaring aspect of this Asia Cup -- and of most major cricket events, for that matter -- is the organisers' relentless push to stage as many India-Pakistan clashes as possible.

The history between the two politically charged nations ensures that any sporting contest, especially cricket, gets amplified beyond measure, often overshadowing other matchups that deserve attention.

That is precisely the case right now. Even though Pakistan face a potential do-or-die clash against Bangladesh to secure a spot in the Asia Cup final, the main topic of discussion continues to be a possible third showdown between India and Pakistan in this tournament.

On Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, Salman Ali Agha and Co just about kept their campaign alive with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage.

"They [India] have still not reached the final. When they do, then we will see them," said Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi after his 3-28 against Sri Lanka.

"We are here to win the cup. Whoever comes in the final, we are ready to beat them."

Afridi's words suggested that Pakistan are already eyeing revenge against Suryakumar Yadav's India, who have already thrashed them twice in this edition -- and that too before Pakistan even manage the next hurdle: beating Bangladesh in Dubai today.

The media has added fuel to the fire, repeatedly speculating about the possibility of a first-ever India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup.

Yet, in truth, Pakistan have hardly looked convincing in this tournament – they even made a meal out of a 134-run chase against the Lankans.

Their overall performance has been so underwhelming that India captain Suryakumar downplayed the India-Pakistan fixture as a "rivalry" altogether. Off the field, the drama has only escalated: Pakistan have skipped pre-match press conferences twice, and players have even refused handshakes during games. As for the quality of cricket seen in their duel, it has only left a lot to be desired. 

Afridi acknowledged that Pakistan would need to "perform well in all three departments" to get past Bangladesh -- the only side to deny them a T20I series win in the past four months.

As for Bangladesh, the Tigers may well benefit from all the distraction surrounding India-Pakistan chatter, quietly focusing on their own business against Pakistan.