Sri Lanka secured their spot in the Super-4 by magnificently defeating Afghanistan in a crucial Asia Cup match. In this match, played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs, thanks to Mohammad Nabi's explosive fifty.
Sports News: An exciting contest was witnessed in Asia Cup 2025 (Asia Cup 2025), where Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 6 wickets to secure their place in the Super-4 (Super-4) stage of the tournament. With this loss, the Afghanistan team was eliminated from the tournament. Notably, Afghanistan's defeat benefited the Bangladesh team, which also qualified for the Super-4.
In this important match played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi) in Abu Dhabi, Sri Lankan bowler Nuwan Thushara (Nuwan Thushara) and batsman Kusal Mendis (Kusal Mendis) delivered stellar performances. Thushara's lethal bowling and Mendis's superb half-century innings led Sri Lanka to an easy victory.
Afghanistan's Batting: Mohammad Nabi's Fiery Innings
Having won the toss, Afghanistan opted to bat first. However, their start was extremely poor. The team had lost 5 wickets for just 71 runs. The top order returned to the pavilion one by one, putting the team under pressure. Subsequently, Mohammad Nabi (Mohammad Nabi) and captain Rashid Khan (Rashid Khan) tried to stabilize the innings.
Rashid Khan scored 24 runs off 23 balls. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nabi played a blistering innings of 60 runs off just 22 balls. Nabi's innings included 6 towering sixes and 3 fours. Thanks to his explosive batting, Afghanistan posted a challenging total of 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.
Sri Lankan bowlers gained control of the match by sending Afghanistan's top order back to the pavilion in the initial overs. Nuwan Thushara maintained pressure on the Afghan batsmen with his economical and sharp bowling. Besides him, other Sri Lankan bowlers also took wickets intermittently, preventing the opposition from building a large score.
Sri Lanka's Batting: Kusal Mendis's Powerful Half-Century
Chasing a target of 170 runs, the Sri Lankan team got off to a splendid start. Opener Kusal Perera (Kusal Perera) provided a brisk start, scoring 28 runs off just 20 balls. Subsequently, Kusal Mendis responsibly anchored the innings. In his innings, Mendis scored:
- 74 runs off 52 balls
- Hit 10 fours
He was supported by Charith Asalanka (17 runs, 12 balls) and Kamindu Mendis (26 runs, 13 balls). Thanks to these innings, Sri Lanka chased down the target in 18.4 overs, scoring 171 runs and winning the match by 6 wickets. Afghanistan is known for its spin bowling, but their bowlers did not live up to expectations in this do-or-die match.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad each took one wicket. Captain Rashid Khan, however, conceded only 23 runs in 4 overs but failed to pick up any wickets. High hopes were placed on the spinners, but the Sri Lankan batsmen played fearlessly and won the match with ease.
