 "Rashid Khan")
It was a case of close but not enough for Afghanistan as they crashed out of the Asia Cup 2023 by losing their last group match to Sri Lanka by two runs on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
Rashid Khan's poignant face almost broke into tears as he saw all his hard work go in vain from the non-striker's end. Needing 292 to win in 37.1 overs or less, Afghanistan did not start well as both the openers were removed by the time the score reached 27. They lost another wicket to make it 50/3 at the end of 8.1 overs.
Sri Lanka clinches a thrilling victory by just 2 runs and secures the spot in the #AsiaCup2023 super four round!#LankanLions #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/E223jJZSlG
— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) September 5, 2023
Also Read
The Mohammed Nabi Carnage
If Sri Lanka thought that they had the match in the bag after picking three quick wickets, Mohammed Nabi showed that the Afghan team was going to go down fighting. The fight is what Nabi did as he smashed the fastest half-century for an Afghan batter, reaching the milestone in only 24 balls.
Nabi, who scored 65 off just 32 balls, added 80 with his skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi. However, he was scalped by Maheesh Theekshana in an attempt to keep the scoring rate high. Shahidi, who also reached his fifty (59), fell soon after, leaving Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat and Rashid Khan to do too much.
Also Read: Asia Cup: Afghanistan need 292 in 37.1 overs against Lanka to reach Super 4
Also Read: Asia Cup: Afghanistan need 292 in 37.1 overs against Lanka to reach Super 4
Tailenders Give it Their All
The match never lost momentum though as even after the fall of Nabi and Shahidi, Rashid and Najibullah added 39 for the eighth wicket to take the target down to 18 from the last nine balls.
The Unfortunate Case of Misinformation
Needing 15 from the last seven balls, Rashid got 12 with a four off the last ball of the Dunith Wellalage over, which was the 37th of the Afghan innings. With three runs required of one ball to win, the strike was with Mujeeb ur Rahman who tried to hit a big shot but was caught out. The last batter Fazalhaq Farooqi was then trapped in front by Dhananjaya de Silva on the fourth ball of the over.
However, had the Afghan players on the field known that they could also have qualified if they got to 295 in 37.1 or 297 in 38.1 overs, which the commentators repeatedly discussed in the commentary during the last few overs. All that Mujeeb and Farooqi needed to do was put Rashid on strike and he could have hit the winning runs via a boundary or a six.
What Happened in the First Innings?
Afghanistan were set a target of 292 by Sri Lanka as they made 291 for eight after opting to bat first.
Kusal Mendis hit 92 off 84 balls, while openers Pathum Nissanka (41) and Dimuth Karunaratne (32) gave a good start to Sri Lanka's innings. Charith Asalanka contributed 36, while the lower-order batters Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage made sure that a middle-order collapse did not deter the Lankans from reaching a relatively higher total. The pair added 64 for the eighth wicket.
Kusal Mendis hit 92 off 84 balls, while openers Pathum Nissanka (41) and Dimuth Karunaratne (32) gave a good start to Sri Lanka's innings. Charith Asalanka contributed 36, while the lower-order batters Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage made sure that a middle-order collapse did not deter the Lankans from reaching a relatively higher total. The pair added 64 for the eighth wicket.
Gulbadin Naib (4/60) was the most successful bowler for Afghanistan, while Rashid Khan was excellent in the field. He picked up 2/62 in his 10 overs but, most importantly, ran out Mendis in his follow-through via a brilliant display of cricketing wits and experience.
