Asia Cup: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan, maintain winning run

Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets to maintain winning run and stormed into the Super4 stage as Group topper from Group B in the Asia Cup at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Chasing 170 runs to win, Sri Lanka reached the target in 18.4 overs losing 4 wickets. Opener Kusal Mendis was the star of the innings as he remained unbeaten at 74 from 52 balls with 10 fours. He put on unbeaten 52 runs with Kamindu Mendis (26) to seal the victory.

Earlier, veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi unleashed a powerful blitz as a masterclass in death-overs batting by hammering 60 off just 22 balls, including hitting six sixes, and powering Afghanistan to 169/8.

Afghanistan were floundering at 120/7 at the end of 18 overs, with Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara taking 4-18. But Nabi, the longest-serving member of the Afghanistan side, turned the tide with a breathtaking assault in the final two overs – amassing a jaw-dropping 46 runs, of which 32 runs came in the final over.

His 35-run stand with skipper Rashid Khan (24) was the highest partnership of the innings, and his final-over fireworks off Dunith Wellalage - five sixes, including one coming off a no-ball – took Afghanistan from a middling total to one they’ll back their bowlers to defend.

Incidentally, Nabi was dropped once in the deep by Wellalage - an error which would come back to bite Sri Lanka hard. Earlier, Afghanistan had started brightly by amassing 26 runs in the first two overs. But they lost momentum after Thushara’s incisive powerplay spell saw him remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, and Sediqullah Atal to reduce Afghanistan to 45/3 at the end of power-play.

Afghanistan found themselves struggling with strike rotation, especially with no boundary coming after the fourth over. Sri Lanka’s fielding was electric - Kusal Perera’s relay catch to dismiss Darwish Rasooli, while Dushmantha Chameera’s acrobatic grab to send back Azmatullah Omarzai.

Sri Lanka will face Bangladesh in the first Super4 match on Saturday.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 169/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 60, Rashid Khan 24; Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Dasun Shanaka 1-29) lost Sri Lanka 171/4 in 18.4 overs (Kusal Mendis 74no, Kusal Perera 28, Kamindu Mendis 26no). Agencies

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