The Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Asia Cup match was played on September 5, 2023, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. Sri Lanka won the match by 4 wickets.
The toss was won by Sri Lanka, and they elected to bat first. They scored 291/8 in their 50 overs. Kusal Mendis top-scored for Sri Lanka with 92 runs, while Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana scored 34 runs each.
Afghanistan’s best bowlers were Gulbadin Naib with 4 wickets for 60 runs, and Rashid Khan with 2 wickets for 27 runs.
In reply, Afghanistan were bowled out for 313/8 in their 50 overs. Rahmat Shah top-scored for Afghanistan with 45 runs, while Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 39 runs.
Sri Lanka’s best bowlers were Chamika Karunaratne with 3 wickets for 43 runs, and Dushmantha Chameera with 2 wickets for 34 runs.
The key points of the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match:
- Kusal Mendis’s 92-run knock was the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s innings.
- Afghanistan’s bowlers kept Sri Lanka’s scoring rate in check for most of the innings.
- Dushmantha Chameera’s 2-wicket over in the 49th over turned the match in Sri Lanka’s favor.
- Sri Lanka’s bowlers defended 291 runs well to win the match by 4 wickets.
The win helped Sri Lanka to move to the top of the Group B table, while Afghanistan remained in third place.
Here is the scorecard of the match:
Sri Lanka
Kusal Mendis: 92 (101)
Pathum Nissanka: 17 (17)
Charith Asalanka: 22 (21)
Dinesh Chandimal: 3 (10)
Dunith Wellalage: 34 (32)
Maheesh Theekshana: 34 (23)
Chamika Karunaratne: 13 (10)
Dushmantha Chameera: 0 (3)
Jeffrey Vandersay: 1 (3)
Maheesh Theekshana: 1 (1)
Dasun Shanaka: 2 (2)
Total: 291/8 (50 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Nissanka), 2-59 (Mendis), 3-104 (Chandimal), 4-128 (Asalanka), 5-203 (Wellalage), 6-237 (Karunaratne), 7-290 (Chameera), 8-291 (Vandersay), 9-291 (Theekshana)
Bowling:
Gulbadin Naib: 4-0-60-4
Rashid Khan: 4-0-27-2
Mohammad Nabi: 4-0-43-0
Mujeeb ur Rahman: 4-0-48-0
Najibullah Zadran: 4-0-41-0
Ikram Alikhil: 2-0-24-0
Afghanistan
Rahmat Shah: 45 (47)
Hazratullah Zazai: 13 (14)
Hashmatullah Shahidi: 39 (41)
Mohammad Nabi: 22 (19)
Najibullah Zadran: 13 (15)
Ikram Alikhil: 19 (16)
Gulbadin Naib: 15 (13)
Rashid Khan: 1 (5)
Mujeeb ur Rahman: 0 (3)
Naveen Ul Haq: 5 (3)
Total: 313/8 (50 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-61 (Zazai), 2-127 (Shahidi), 3-137 (Rahmat Shah), 4-167 (Najibullah Zadran), 5-177 (Alikhil), 6-249 (Naib), 7-260 (Mujeeb ur Rahman), 8-291 (Rashid Khan), 9-313 (Naveen Ul Haq)
Bowling:
Chamika Karunaratne: 4-0-43-3
Dushmantha Chameera: 4-0-34-2
Jeffrey Vandersay: 4-0-47-0
Maheesh Theekshana: 4-0-41-1
Dasun Shanaka: 4-0-34-0
Sri Lanka qualifies by slimmest margin
Sri Lanka needed to win the match by 4 wickets or more to qualify, and they did so with 3 wickets and 5 balls to spare.
Afghanistan had a good start to the match, with Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmat Shah putting on 61 runs for the first wicket. However, Sri Lanka’s bowlers fought back and took wickets at regular intervals.
Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 313, with Najibullah Zadran top-scoring with 54 runs.
Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a good start, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis putting on 59 runs for the first wicket. However, Mendis was dismissed for 92, and Sri Lanka were in trouble at 128-4.
However, Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka put on a 79-run partnership to steady the ship, and Sri Lanka eventually reached their target with 3 wickets and 5 balls to spare.
The win was a great relief for Sri Lanka, who had lost their previous two matches in the tournament. It also means that they will now face Pakistan in the semifinals.
Afghanistan will be disappointed with the result, but they can still be proud of their performances in the tournament. They have shown that they are a team on the rise, and they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.