Sri Lanka roars to 6-wicket win to eliminate Afghanistan from Asia Cup
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Sri Lanka roared to six-wicket victory to eliminate 2024 T20 World Cup semifinalist Afghanistan from the Asia Cup on Thursday.
Sri Lanka topped Group B with its third straight win as Bangladesh also qualified for the Super 4 ahead of Afghanistan with two wins and a loss.
Opening batter Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 74 off 52 balls anchored Sri Lanka’s authoritative run-chase of 171-4 against spin-heavy Afghanistan with more than an over to spare.
Mohammad Nabi’s (60) five big sixes against spinner Dunith Wellalage in the final over provided Afghanistan hope as they posted 169-8 after captain Rashid Khan won the toss and elected to bat.
Mendis marvels
Mendis neutralized the spin trio with his well-executed sweep shots. Wrist spinner Noor Ahmad went for 1-37 off his three overs in a rare expensive T20 figures for the left-arm spinner. Rashid also couldn’t penetrate through the defenses of Mendis in a quiet middle overs to return with 0-23 off his four overs.
Nabi (1-20) got the wicket in the powerplay when Kamil Mishra chipped a low catch into the covers before Mendis and Kusal Perera (28) put the chase back on track with 45-run stand.
Captain Charith Asalanka made 17 off 12 balls before Kamindu Mendis (26 not out) and Kusal countercharged Ahmad and fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi (0-38) in the death overs.
“We did not bowl as well as we should have and that is why we did not win,” Rashid said.
“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, analyze and come back stronger.”
Nabi’s late charge
Nuwan Thushara (4-18) polished off Afghanistan’s top-order with three wickets inside the powerplay that included two immaculate inswingers that rattled the stumps of Sediqullah Atal (18) and Karim Jannat (1).
Ibrahim Zadran labored for 27 balls to score 24 and when Rashid was clean bowled by another Thushara ball, Afghanistan slipped to 114-7 in 17.1 overs.
Sri Lanka was outstanding in the field to restrict Afghanistan batters up until the 18th over with Kusal Perera pulling off outstanding catches of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and a juggling catch on the edge of boundary to dismiss Darwish Rasooli.
But Sri Lanka got scratchy late in the innings when Wellalage should have caught Nabi on 6 before the all-rounder played an incredible knock off just 22 balls with his late onslaught.
Nabi scored 46 of the 49 runs Afghanistan made in the last two overs as he first smacked Dushmantha Chameera (1-50) for three successive boundaries in the penultimate over and then unleashed powerful hitting against Wellalage when he smacked the spinner’s first five legitimate deliveries in the final over for sixes before getting run-out off the final ball.
“I am really pleased with the performance today, it was almost a perfect game for us,” Asalanka said. “Up front, pacers doing their job and only one time we got it wrong — the last over. But apart from that, we did a good job.”
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