ABU DHABI: Sri Lanka chased down a daunting target of 170 with six wickets in hand to knock Afghanistan out of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Sri Lanka wrapped up their Group B fixtures unbeaten, with the former champions getting home with eight deliveries to spare.
Having topped the group, Sri Lanka marched into the second round, with Bangladesh joining them as the other qualifier.
It was quick Nuwan Thushara who set the tone, rattling through the Afghan top order with four wickets.
Then it was wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis who stole the limelight in the chase, crafting an unbeaten 74 off 52 balls with 10 boundaries.
Opening the innings, Mendis dropped anchor against Afghanistan’s much-vaunted four-pronged spin attack. He later shifted gears in a blistering 52-run stand off just 23 balls for the fifth wicket with his namesake Kamindu Mendis.
Sri Lanka had their noses in front from the moment Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first. Thushara struck twice in his second over, eventually finishing with four for 18.
At 137 for seven heading into the final over, Afghanistan looked dead and buried, but veteran Mohammad Nabi turned the script on its head.
The all-rounder bludgeoned 32 runs off the last over, lifting his side to a fighting 169 for eight.
Dunith Wellalage, playing his first T20 since November 2024, dropped Nabi on five, a mistake that cost dearly. Thrown the ball for the final over, the left-arm spinner was carted for five sixes, conceding the second-most expensive over by a Sri Lankan in T20 history.
Nabi finished with a whirlwind 60 off 22 balls, peppered with three fours and six sixes, his half-century equalling the record for the quickest by an Afghan batter.
