Sri Lanka came out determined out there and came out all guns blazing to knock Afghanistan out of Asia Cup 2025 and help Bangladesh qualify for Super 4s. Sri Lanka outplayed Bangladesh in all facets of the game and deserved the win in Abu Dhabi. Nuwan Thushara was the star with the ball with 4/18 in 4 overs. But Mohammad Nabi’s brilliant 60 off 22 balls took Afghanistan to 169/8 in 20 overs.
Chasing 170 for the win, Kusal Mendis showed up and scored an unbeaten 74 off 52 balls while others like Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Perera, and Charith Aslanka played all around him as the Lankans got to the target in 18.4 overs and topped Group B. Bangladesh qualified in second place while Afghanistan bowed out of the competition.
Mohammad Nabi’s breath-taking 60 propels Afghanistan to 169/8
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal came out to open the batting for Afghanistan while Nuwan Thushara had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Gurbaz made his intentions clear straightaway as he slammed it towards covers for a boundary. Dushmantha Chameera came onto bowl next. Atal took him on as he flicked it to sail over deep midwicket for the maximum. Atal then creamed through the point region for a boundary. Gurbaz joined in the fun as he whipped it towards backward square leg for a boundary. Gurbaz got 3 runs to end the over.
Nuwan Thushara got the breakthrough for his side as he removed Gurbaz for 14 off 8 balls with 2 fours to his name. Gurbaz got a bit too greedy and shuffled half a step to the leg side and cleared his front legs and swung for the heavens. Thushara hurled it on the fuller side of a good length in the channel outside off-stump. The ball flew off the outside edge towards Kusal Perrera at short third man who took a sharp leaping catch. Karim Janat was promoted up the order to Number 3.
He got off the mark as 4 leg byes were gifted away by the bowling side. Thushara got two in the over as he removed Janat for 1 off 3 balls. He bowled a good length delivery pitched at the off and middle and moved away just enough to beat the outside edge. Janat was crestfallen but he couldn’t afford to be as that was an umplayable ball from the bowler. Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat next.
Dunith Wellalage came into the attack as spin was introduced in the powerplay. Atal welcomed him with a boundary slamming it away for a boundary. He used his feet very well. Thushara was give the extra over and he removed Atal for 18 off 14 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Thushara bowled a driveable length at the stumps, Atal was looking to punch it down the track. But once again the ball swung late and enough to beat the inside edge of and clatter into the stumps. Darwish Rasooli came out to bat next.
Thushara had bowled 3 overs and was on fire now. Wellalage bowled the last over of powerplay as Afghanistan reached 45/3 in 6 overs. Dasun Shanaka was introduced into the attack post the powerplay. Shanaka started with a tidy over. Wanindu Hasaranga was introduced into the attack. He too bowled a miserly over to start his bowling spell.
Runs had dried up for sure. Runs were coming in singles and twos as the boundaries had dried up. Hasaranga returned and bowled a tight over with Afghanistan getting to 63/3 in 10 overs and in a spot of bother. Chameera came back well and dismissed Rasooli for 9 off 16 balls. Kusal Perera pulled off a blinder. Chameera bowled a short of a length outside the off-stump. Rasooli arched back to free his arms and played late using the pace of the bowler. Hr got underneath it and upper cut it to deep third man where Kusal Perera judged the catch to perfection and did not lose his balance to take the catch. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next. He got off the mark under streaky circumstances as the ball went away to the fence for a boundary.
Shanaka got rid of Omarzai for 6 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name. Omarzai dragged it on as the man in form bowled short of a length outside the middle off-stump, Omarzai hopped back and looked to pull across the line. The ball held on the surface a touch as the all-rounder went through the stroke la bit early and got an under edge back onto the base of the leg stump. Mohammad Nabi came out to bat next and got off the mark with a single.
Shanaka launched Zeeshan for the maximum as Ibrahim welcomed them with a maximum over backward square leg. Wellalage returned and got rid of Ibrahim Zadran for 24 off 27 balls with a maximum to his name. Wellalage returned from around the wicket and bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump, Ibrahim danced down the track and despite not being to the pitch of the ball as he went through with the lofted stroke heaving it off the inner side of the bat to right of long-on where Chameera hopped back to take a two-handed catch above his head. Chameera did well to hold onto the catch. Rashid Khan came out to bat next.
Rashid got off the mark with a brace and then hit a boundary through extra covers. Hasaranga continued his spell and bowled another miserly over. Rashid then took on Shanaka and hit him for a boundary and followed by the maximum over deep midwicket. The 100 came up for Afghanistan in 14.3 overs. After 15 overs, Afghanistan were 101/6 with 5 overs to go.
Hasaranga came and completed his spell with another miserly over. Nabi was put down when on 5 as Wellalage dropped him at deep backward square leg as the batter got a reprieve. Chameera appealed against Rashid for LBW but the decision was NOT OUT and stayed in that way as the review was burnt. Nabi then was on a mission as he launched Chameera for the maximum over cow corner. Thushara returned and got rid of Rashid Khan for 24 off 23 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name.
Thushara was bowling from over the wicket and bowled a slow dipping yorker on the middle stump. Rashid was deep in his crease and got down on a knee looking to whip across the line. The ball dipped late as a result of which Rashid failed to get bat on the ball. It hit his back thigh pad and chest before rolling onto the base of the stumps to dislodge the bails. Noor Ahmad came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Chameera came back to bowl the 19th over as Nabi hit him for a hat-trick of boundaries. Chameera completed his most expensive spell ever. Wellalage was tasked to bowl the final over as Nabi took him to the cleaners as the first three balls went for the maximum. Wellalage bowled a no ball next while Nabi hit the free hit for the maximum over wide long-on as he reached his fifty in 20 balls. The fifth ball disappeared too for the maximum over long-on as Wellalage missed his line and lengths. Nabi was in the end run out off the final ball of the innings trying to take a non-existent second run and saw his short of his crease for 60 off 22 balls with 3 fours and 6 sixes to his name. Noor was unbeaten on 6* off 4 balls as Afghanistan finished with 169/8 in 20 overs with 7 extras given by the fielding side.
Nuwan Thushara was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/18 in 4 overs. Dushmantha Chameera went for runs as he went for 50 runs in 4 overs and got a wicket. Dunith Wellalage finished with 1/49 in 4 overs. Dasun Shanaka finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga finished with 0/18 in 4 overs. Only 5 bowlers used by Sri Lanka tonight. Sri Lanka now needed 170 to win off 20 overs to win the match and knock Afghanistan out of the tournament.
Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 74 guides Sri Lanka past the finishing line and knock Afghanistan out
Chasing 171 for the win, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis came out to bat for Sri Lanka while Fazalhaq Farooqi had the new ball in hand for Afghanistan. Nissanka started with a bang and got a boundary through third man region. Mendis joined in the fun as he hit Farooqi for a boundary through cover point. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was given the ball from the other end. Kusal hit Mujeeb for a boundary through short fine leg. Mendis then swept him behind square for a boundary.
Azmatullah Omarzai came into the attack and got rid of the big one Nissanka for 6 off 5 balls with a boundary to his name. Back of a length delivery swinging down the leg side. It was there to be hit. Nissanka helped it on its way straight to Mujeeb at short fine leg who took a good catch at the edge of the circle.
Kamil Mishara came to the crease next and got off the mark straightaway. Afghanistan burnt a review against Mishara for caught behind. Farooqi continued and gave away 5 wides as a bonus for the batting side and Mendis too hit him for a boundary through deep square leg.
Mendis hit Omarzai for a boundary tickling away to the fine leg region. Mohammad Nabi came to bowl the last over of powerplay. He ended the innings of Kamil Mishara for 4 off 10 balls. He tossed it up full around the off-stump, gripped and straightened. Nabi bowled it slower through the air. Mishara lunged forward and drove it uppishly away from his body. Ibrahim took a simple catch at short cover. Kusal Perera came to the crease next. Perera got off the mark with a boundary by sweeping it behind square for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were well-placed at 53/2 after 6 overs.
Rashid Khan came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a tidy over. Nabi too bowled a miserly over. Noor Ahmad was introduced into the attack. Noor gifted away 5 wides to the batting side once again. Kusal then hit Mujeeb for a boundary through the midwicket region. At the end of 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 82/2 at the halfway stage as the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Rashid Khan came back into the attack post the break. He bowled a tight over as usual. Mujeeb returned as Kusal reverse swept him to short third man. Then he fell to Mujeeb for 28 off 20 balls with 3 fours to his name. He floated it up on a length full enough to draw the batter forward drifted inwards to pitch at the fourth stump and then just straightened. Perera lunged forward and it pushed his bat forward only to feather it through to Gurbaz. Captain Charith Asalanka came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Asalanka hit Rashid for a boundary through backward point as the 100 came up in 12.4 overs as they qualified for the Super 4s now. Asalanka cut Nabi for a boundary through short third man. Kusal slog swept Noor for a boundary to backward square leg as he reached his fifty in 40 balls. Noor then got rid of Asalanka for 17 off 12 balls with 2 fours to his name. Noor bowled a googly pitched on a good length and generated extra bounce too. Asalanka picked it up and opened his shoulders and heaved it to the leg side. He could not find the connection. Rashid ran in from midwicket region and overran it but did well to take the catch in the end. Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next.
After 15 overs, Sri Lanka were 122/4 with 48 more to get off 30 balls. Rashid survived a back injury and completed his tidy over. Mujeeb then bowled wides while he was hit for a maximum by Kamindu over long-on. Kusal then pumped him over covers for a boundary. Farooqi returned and was dispatched for a boundary by Kusal towards the midwicket region. Kamindu hooked him for the maximum over long leg as well.
Kusal Mendis decided enough was enough and hit Mujeeb for two consecutive boundaries to end the contest in 18.4 overs as Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare. Kusal was unbeaten on 74 off 52 balls while Kamindu was unbeaten on 26 off 13 balls. Kusal hit 10 boundaries while Kamindu hit 2 sixes. 16 extras including 15 wides given by Afghanistan.
For Afghanistan’s point of view, a wicket apiece for Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad. Rashid bowled well but was wicketless for 23 runs in 4 overs. So, Sri Lanka win by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare and Kusal Mendis was awarded the Player of the Match. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh go through to the Super 4s while Afghanistan crashed out of the tournament with this loss.
What Lies Ahead
The Group matches are almost done and dusted. We have one more Group Game coming your way as we have a Group A clash tomorrow featuring India against Oman in Abu Dhabi at 8 PM IST on 19th September 2025. It is a dead rubber to say the least. But there is always something to play for here.
Can Oman script an upset? Or will India continue their dominance in Asia Cup 2025? Find all the answers on Friday night.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Mohammad Nabi’s Brilliant 60 Takes Afghanistan Score To 169/8