AFG 289 All-Out | Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Highlights of Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka Qualify For Super Four With Two-Run Victory

The target looked far from reach at one point of time.Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi changed the game. Nabi specifically ended up playing a blinder. After Nabi and Shahidi's dismissal, Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan provided their combined efforts but still fell short by a short margin. Afghanistan seemed to be unaware of the equations in the end and the confusion led them to lose the match from a position of winning with 13 overs to spare. Hard luck for the Afghans as Sri Lanka hold their nerve and qualify for the Super Four stage. 

Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan on the crease as the game comes down to a cliffhanger. It wasn't expected to come to this but first Mohammad Nabi's knock and then Dunith Wellalage's over has brought the game to this juncture. Afghanistan need 27 runs in 13 deliveries to qualify for Super four stage knocking out Sri Lanka. 

Out! Game changing over from Dunith Wellalge. Picks up the wicket of Karim Janat, who looked dangerous since his arrival on the crease and the well set skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi. Afghanistan now need 54 runs in 30 balls. 

Mohammad Nabi played a memorable knock in a crisis situation and propelled Afghanistan to a position from where they can think of a victory. Some of the shots he played were outright unbelievable and completed his fifty in just 24 deliveries, becoming the scorer of fastest fifty for Afghanistan in ODIs. Ultimately, he fails to clear the rope and gets caught at the boundary line. 

Out! Afghanistan have definitely found Kasun Rajitha difficult to negotiate and they lose Rahmat Shah as he tries to take on the bowler trying to accelerate. The run rate pressure grows on Afghanistan as a new batter comes in. 

Afghanistan continue to fight despite their task getting increasingly difficult. They now need 172 runs in just 19.1 overs with only seven wickets in hand. Sri Lanka at this situation will back themselves to go over the line. 

Gulbadin Naib and Rahmat Shah staged a short period of counterattack after the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran but Naib fell in the first over of Matheesha Pathirana. Afghanistan keep going their desperate attempt to keep the scoring rate brisk while Sri Lanka maintain control. 

Out! Body blow for Afghanistan as the spine of the chase is broken by Kasun Rajitha in his opening spell. He picks up the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran within first five overs. Afghanistan have a huge ground to cover now and the task seems extremely uphill from here. 

Exceptional batting from the Sri Lankan lower order batters as they have put together a 64-run partnership after they were 227/7. Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana played some exceptional shots taking Sri Lanka near to 300. They will enter the break with momentum. Afghanistan need to chase this score within 37.1 overs to go past the net run rate of Sri Lanka. 

Out! Two big wickets in one over. Maybe the only way Kushal Mendis would have got out and it has happened. Rashid Khan manages to get his fingers on the straight drive from Dashun Shanaka and the ball crashes on the non-striker end stumps Kushal Mendis' bat in air. Massive breakthrough for Afghans. Rashid immediately follows it by dismissing Dasun Shanaka too. 

Out! Dhananjaya de Silva cleaned up by Mujeeb ur Rahman. Afghanistan scalp another after leaking runs in the last few overs as de Silva tries to up the ante. Sri Lanka will keep on attempt their shots while Afghans try to restrict them. 

Out! Just when the partnership of Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis threatened to take the game from Afghanistan away with their partnership, Rashid Khan strikes taking the wicket of Asalanka, immediately bringing back Afghanistan in the game. 

Kushal Mendis puts stamp on his authoritative dominance of Afghanistan bowlers as he completes his half-century in just 55 deliveries. He has displayed some classy strokeplay and negotiated Afghanistan's spin-attack really well. 

After two back-to-back wickets, Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka have stitched a steady partnership taking Sri Lanka to a comfortable position where they can look to go big. The duo speciaifically negoatiated the spinners well till now including Rashid Khan. 

Out! Gulbadin Naib strikes again. He again attacks the line just outside off, makes it seam a bit and Sadeera Samarawickrama gets a faint edge to the hands of Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Afghans have now entered the Sri Lankan middle order and will like to continue squeezing. 

Out! After a steady start, now Sri Lanka has lost both of their openers to Gulbadin Naib. Nissanka looked pretty solid on his way to the 41, but now he has smashed a short and wide one starright to the hands of backward point. Afghanistan will look to strengthen their grip on the game now. 

Out! Gulbadin Naib has broken the opening partnership and provided Afghanistan with a much-needed breakthrough. Dimuth Karunaratne was looking in pristine touch but has to depart. Relief for Afghanistan. Dimuth Karunaratne c Mohammad Nabi b Gulbadin Naib 32(35)

Sri Lankan Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka have dictated terms from the start. They have rotated the strike and scored timely boundaries.  They would look to play in the same vein going forward and pile on the pain upon the opposition.

The opening pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka have got Sri Lanka a steady start. They would look to continue with the good work and put pressure on the Afghan bowlers.

Sri Lanka have made no changes to the winning combination and backed the same starting XI to come good in the upcoming clash.

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana