Wanindu Hasaranga‘s all-round performance, including a quickfire 67 off 32 balls and 1-20 with the ball, along with Matheesha Pathirana’s 4 for 24, helped Sri Lanka win the opening T20I against Afghanistan by 4 runs in Dambulla on Saturday (February 17). Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 160 despite losing early wickets, thanks to Hasaranga’s aggressive batting. Although Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 67 off 55 balls almost led Afghanistan to victory, they fell short as Sri Lanka restricted them to 156/9, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Afghan Bowlers Strike Early, but Sri Lanka Bounces Back Strong
Sri Lanka displayed a positive approach, focusing on scoring boundaries, but this led to frequent dismissals. Pathum Nissanka, in good form, started with a wristy boundary but was later caught behind off Fazalhaq Farooqi’s delivery. Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis managed to hit two fours and sixes each but succumbed to dismissals within the powerplay overs. Farooqi claimed another wicket, while Noor Ahmad also made an impact with a wicket.
After the powerplay, Sri Lanka stood at 51/3, which further slipped to 55/4 after Noor Ahmad dismissed Charith Asalanka in the eighth over. However, skipper Wanindu Hasaranga’s aggressive batting spearheaded a recovery, hitting boundaries regularly and guiding his team to 82/4 at the halfway mark.
Hasaranga’s Explosive Batting Revives Sri Lanka’s Innings
Hasaranga led the charge in a formidable 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama, contributing a blistering 54 runs off just 25 deliveries. Qais Ahmad bore the brunt of Hasaranga’s assault as he dispatched a boundary, followed by two towering sixes, and then another boundary in the 14th over. This final boundary also marked Hasaranga’s swift half-century off just 24 balls.
The partnership came to a halt when Samarawickrama was run out after a miscommunication with Hasaranga, who had advanced to the 60s with a six and a four off Karim Janat. Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Hasaranga with a slower ball, and Afghanistan managed to contain the late onslaught as Sri Lanka lost their final four wickets for just eight runs. Sri Lanka was eventually bowled out with an over left in their innings.
Matheesha Pathirana’s Four-for-Dents Afghanistan’s Chase
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided Afghanistan with a quick start in the chase, although Gurbaz departed after hitting a six and a four off Angelo Mathews. Nonetheless, Ibrahim maintained the momentum during the powerplay, finding the fence regularly to guide Afghanistan to 57/1 after six overs.
Gulbadin Naib played a steady role in a 43-run partnership, but his innings concluded when he was dismissed by Hasaranga. Azmatullah Omarzai followed suit, offering Matheesha Pathirana his maiden wicket. The flurry of dismissals and the subsequent dot balls enabled Sri Lanka to put the brakes on Afghanistan’s scoring rate.
Ibrahim Zadran’s Valiant Effort in Vain as Afghanistan Falls Agonizingly Short
After 10 overs, Afghanistan was at 76/3. However, they faced more setbacks when Dasun Shanaka claimed two wickets in the 12th over, sending Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran back to the pavilion. Ibrahim continued to anchor the innings, reaching his fifty off 39 balls and building a valuable partnership with Janat. Their 39-run stand ended when Pathirana dismissed Janat. With 24 needed off the last three overs, Maheesh Theekshana removed Qais, but Noor struck a crucial six in the same over, reducing the target to 14 off 12 balls.
In the 19th over, Pathirana swung the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favor by dismissing both Noor and Naveen while conceding only three runs. With 11 required off the final over, Ibrahim retained the strike throughout, but four consecutive dot balls and a couple meant Afghanistan fell short, despite the captain managing a boundary off the last delivery.
The second game will be played at the same venue on February 19 and Afghanistan will be looking to give a fightback and take the series to the decider.
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