Afghanistan stuttered in this innings for most parts and were struggling at 101/6 in 15 overs. But then the President Mohammad Nabi stepped up to the plate in the end overs and scored 60 off 22 balls and 68 runs in the last 5 overs to power Afghanistan to 169/8 in 20 overs with Rashid Khan also playing his part.
For Sri Lanka, Nuwan Thushara was the star of the show with figures of 4/18 in 4 overs while Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga bowled well, the others went the journey with Chameera and Wellalage going for plenty at the end overs. This means Sri Lanka needs 170 to win the game and knock Afghanistan out of Asia Cup 2025.
Nuwan Thushara rips apart Afghanistan in the powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal came out to bat for Afghanistan while Nuwan Thushara had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Gurbaz made his intentions clear by shimmying down while sliding towards the leg side and converted it into a half-volley to pick it up from in front of the fourth stump and slammed it towards cover for a boundary. Dushmantha Chameera had the ball from the other end.
Atal took him on and deposited him over midwicket with a flick for the maximum. Atal then hit another boundary through the point region creaming it away. Few balls later Gurbaz whipped Chameera for a boundary through backward square leg. Thushara got the breakthrough for his side as he dismissed Gurbaz for 14 off 8 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Gurbaz shuffled half a step to the leg side by clearing his front leg and swung to the heavens. Thushara hurled it on the fuller side of good length and in the channel outside off-stump. It flew off the outside edge towards Perera at short third who took a sharp catch. Karim Janat was promoted to 3 and got off the mark with a single. Thushara gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side.
Thushara knocked Janat over for 1 off 3 balls. He bowled a good length delivery pitched on middle and moved away just enough to beat the outside edge. Janat walked away with his head hanging low. But it was good delivery to most batters and he could not have done anything with that as Thushara had 2 in the over. Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat next.
Dunith Wellalage came into the attack next as Atal welcomed him by slamming him through mid-off for a boundary. Thushara was given the extra over to bowl and he knocked over the set batter Atal for 18 off 14 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. He bowled at a drivable length at the stumps, Atal was looking to punch it down the track. But once again, the ball swung late and just enough to beat the inside edge and clatter into the stumps. Darwish Rasooli came out to bat next.
Wellalage came and bowled the final over of the powerplay and bowled a miserly over. At the end of 6 overs of powerplay, Afghanistan were 45/3 and in a spot of bother in Abu Dhabi with Rasooli on 2* and Ibrahim Zadran on 4*.
Sri Lanka chip away at the wickets to push Afghanistan further back in the middle overs.
Dasun Shanaka was introduced into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a tight first over. Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack next. He too bowled a tight and steady over. Shanaka continued as the boundaries had dried up now. Hasaranga was not giving anything away as Afghanistan reached 63/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings as the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Dushmantha Chameera returned after the Break as he removed Rasooli for 9 off 16 balls. Kusal Perera with a brilliant effort at third man. The bowler bowled short of a length outside the off-stump. Rasooli arched back to free his arms and played late using the pace of the bowler. He got underneath it and never intended to keep it down and upper cut it to deep third man. Perera in the deep judged the catch to perfection by leaping to take it with both hands over his head and knew where the boundary cushion was and took it well by keeping his balance. The TV umpire looked at it and after various replays, gave it OUT. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next.
Omarzai managed to get a boundary away past the diving keeper for a lucky boundary to get off the mark. Shanaka then removed Omarzai for 6 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name. Shanaka bowled a short of a length outside the off-stump. Omarzai hopped back and looked to pull it across the line. The ball holds on the surface a touch as the all-rounder went through his stroke a tad earlier than he expected, getting an under-edge that deflected onto the base of his stumps. Mohammad Nabi walked out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Ibrahim then took on Shanaka and deposited him over backward square leg for the maximum.
Wellalage returned and got rid of Ibrahim for 24 off 27 balls with a maximum to his name. Wellalage bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump as Ibrahim danced down the track and he was not to the pitch of the ball and went through with the lofted stroke heaving it off the inner half of the bat. The ball went to right of long-on. Chameera hopped back to take a two-handed catch above his head. The ball was travelling at a lightning speed and Chameera landed on the floor after taking the catch. He managed to keep his body just inside the boundary cushion. TV umpire had a look at it and decided the catch was clean.
Rashid Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Rashid hit Wellalage for a boundary by stepping down the track and reached out for it to loft it over extra cover for a boundary. Hasaranga continued and bowled a tight over once again.
Shanaka continued as Rashid took him on by throwing his hands at it and slashed hard. The ball flew away over covers for a boundary. The deep cover fielder ran to his left and dived but failed to stop the ball as the ball deflected away to the fence. Rashid then hit the next ball from Shanaka for a maximum over midwicket by playing a no look whip shot. The 100 came up for Afghanistan in 14,3 overs. At the end of 15 overs, Afghanistan were 101/6 and a crucial last 5 overs remained to be bowled/ Rashid was batting on 20* off 15 balls while Mohammad Nabi was with him on 3* off 3 balls.
Mohammad Nabi’s blitz stuns Sri Lanka
Hasaranga continued and bowled a tight over to finish his spell wicketless but giving nothing away. Then a big moment in the game came when Mohammad Nabi was put down by Wellalage when he was batting on 5 and the score was 106/6 at this stage. Then a big LBW appeal was turned down and Sri Lanka reviewed it against Rashid only for the decision to be upheld as Sri Lanka lost a review. Mohammad Nabi then hit Chameera for the maximum by clobbering over the midwicket region.
Thushara returned and got his 4th wicket of the evening removing Rashid for 24 off 23 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name. Thushara from over the wicket bowled a slow dipping yorker on the middle stump. Rashid was deep in his crease and got down on one knee looking to whip across the line. The ball dipped late as a result of which Rashid failed to get bat on the ball. The ball 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.
Mohammad Nabi then took on Chameera and hit him for a hat-trick of boundaries to start the 19th over. 17 runs came off the over. Wellalage came to bowl the final over as Nabi was ready for it by hitting the first two balls for the maximum launching him out of the park. Mohammad Nabi was not done yet as he hit another maximum over long-on and then the bowler bowled a no ball. The free hit went for the maximum as Nabi reached his fifty in 20 balls. Mohammad Nabi hit another maximum off Wellalage over long-on. The last ball turned out to be a run out and they got a run as Mohammad Nabi fell for 60 off 22 balls with 3 fours and 6 sixes to his name. 32 runs off the last over by Wellalage propelled the score tp 169/8 in 20 overs.
Nuwan Thushara was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka with figures of 4/18 in 4 overs. The rest went the distance a bit. Dushmantha Chameera went for 50 in 4 overs and got a wicket while Wellalage got a wicket for 49 runs and took a wicket. Dasun Shanaka bowled well for his 1/29 in 4 overs while Wanindu Hasaranga bowled a miserly spell of 0/18 in 4 overs. Sri Lanka now needed 170 to win off 20 overs to knock Afghanistan out of Asia Cup 2025.
What Lies Ahead
We have a game on in Abu Dhabi as Afghanistan have recovered remarkably well in the end overs to get to 169/8 in 20 overs getting 68 runs in the last 5 overs. Mohammad Nabi playing an absolute blinder out there. Nuwan Thushara was the star for Sri Lanka with ball in hand. Sri Lanka needs 170 to win and have a deep batting line-up. This game can go either ways.
Let’s see how this game eventually pans out in this crucial Group B clash in Abu Dhabi. Two spots up for grabs in Super 4s.