Sri Lanka crushed Afghanistan with a heavy six-wicket victory in their last Asia Cup match. This victory would go on to eliminate Afghanistan’s tournament run in the 2025 qualifier. The match took place in Abu Dhabi, where Sri Lanka’s consistent performance allowed them to top Group B with three consecutive wins, while Afghanistan’s hopes of advancing fell short, with only one win to their name.
Nuwan Thushara was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, grabbing three crucial wickets in the powerplay. In his brilliant spell of bowling, he bowled two inswingers that uprooted the stumps of Sediqullah Atal and Karim Jannat. This barrage had Afghanistan on the ropes at 114-7 after only 17.1 overs. Thushara’s efforts proved instrumental in limiting Afghanistan’s scoring opportunities early on.
Afghanistan’s innings ended at a modest 170 runs, a total which looked disappointing considering their bright start to the tournament. Mohammad Nabi attempted to salvage the innings, scoring 46 runs off 17 balls and displaying aggressive hitting, particularly in the final overs. He struck three successive boundaries against Dushmantha Chameera in the penultimate over and hit a barrage of sixes against spinner Dunith Wellalage before being run out off the final ball.
If Afghanistan’s batting stumbled, Sri Lanka’s chase was a masterclass in calmness and class under pressure. Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 runs from 52 balls, leading his team to a comfortable victory with more than an over to spare. His innings, along with a disciplined bowling attack’s effort, saw Sri Lanka chase down a target of 171 runs comfortably on the loss of only four wickets. The usually reliable Ibrahim Zadran (24 off 27) misfired, adding more woes to Afghanistan’s quest.
Noor Ahmad put up a big test against Afghanistan. His figures of 1-37 in three overs are telling, as he failed to build the pressure needed on the Sri Lankan batsmen. Afghanistan’s skipper, Rashid Khan, didn’t mince words in pointing out the flaws in their bowling display after the match.
“We did not bowl as well as we should have, and that is why we did not win,” – Rashid Khan
He reflected on their disappointing tournament run, stating, “We had a great chance in the last game [against Bangladesh]; we did not chase 150. We had a semifinal at the last T20 World Cup, and the expectation [here] was to be at least in the next round. We will think about it, analyse and come back stronger.”
With that authoritative win under their belts, Sri Lanka’s triumph ensured they would finish at the top of Group B. In doing so, it eliminated Afghanistan from contention for the Super 4 stage. Bangladesh had a good run too, finishing with two wins and one loss, meaning Afghanistan will be looking back with thoughts of what might have been this year.
Charith Asalanka expressed his satisfaction with Sri Lanka’s execution during the match, emphasizing that it was nearly a flawless performance for the team.
“I am really pleased with the performance today, it was almost a perfect game for us,” – Charith Asalanka
