Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualified for the Super 4s.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are through to the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025. After Afghanistan set 169/8 in the first innings, Sri Lanka needed to ensure they go past the 101-run mark in order to secure their spot. And they have done it in a comfortable fashion. As for the Afghans, their campaign would not advance into the next stage, and they will have to be on the flight back home.
After Nuwan Thushara jolted the Afghanistan top-order, Mohammad Nabi came to their rescue with a splendid 22- ball 60. In the end, it was not enough as Sri Lanka sealed a comfortable win. Bangladesh, who must have had keen eyes on the contest would also have a sigh of relief after seeing the result.
Having won two of the three fixtures, the Bangladesh Tigers had four points in their kitty. However, their run-rate was nowhere close to Afghanistan. And hence, a win for Afghanistan tonight would have meant curtains for Bangladesh. But Sri Lanka gathered a six-wicket victory to cruise into the next stage.
The first couple of overs went quite well for the Afghans. They registered 23 runs on the board in the first two overs of the innings. But from the third over onwards, Nuwan Thushara made a statement. No fuss, no drama. ‘I’m here. Deal with it!’ In his very second over, Thushara jolted the Afghanistan top-order with two wickets to get Sri Lanka back into the game after runs flowed initially. He ended with figures of 4/18 in his quota of four overs.
The first to depart to Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The Afghans were on the charge, and the Lankan Lions knew it. Thushara bowled a slower ball which pitched on a good length. Gurbaz swung his bat to aim for the stars, but the short-third region was where he could reach. An easy catch resulted by Kusal Perera resulted in the first wicket for the Sri Lankans. Little did Afghanistan know, the worst for them was yet to come.
The second wicket came on the last delivery of the same over. Karim Janat, who was promoted up the order was beaten all ends up. A delivery, which pitched on the good length in the middle swung to take the top of the off-stump. A delivery that every bowler dreams of! Janat was left bamboozled and had to walk back after his off-stump was shattered.
And it did not end there! Rather, the best of the dismissals was yet to come. In his very next over, Thushara cleaned up Sediqullah Atal. The left-arm batter was going at a decent strike-rate and needed to be sent back. A ball that pitched on the middle stump, went through the gate to castle the stumps. There cannot be a batter sight for a fast bowler, and it was certainly Thushara’s day.
If a team was on 71/5 in the 12th over, one would hardly believe that they got to 169/8. But Afghanistan did. The Sri Lankans were pelted for more than 30 runs in the last over itself. Mohammad Nabi went absolutely berserk. After scoring just five runs of the first six deliveries, he went on to score another 55 runs off 16 balls.
Nabi walked in to bat when Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed. Though the Afghans bat deep, they were not in a very good position after the dismissal of the all-rounder. However, it was Nabi who took the matters into his own hands, and caused mass destruction to take the score to a respectable total. This gave their bowlers something to bowl at. Afghanistan had some quality spinners, and this was all they needed to shift the momentum in their favour.
Nabi tonked five sixes in the last over itself, to take the score past the 160-run mark. Dunith Wellalage was kept to bowl the last over, and the captaincy from Charith Asalanka could have been slightly better. The 40-year-old Afghan all-rounder is a clean hitter of spin bowling, and keeping Wellalage for the end was not a very clever plan. However, Nabi made full use of the opportunity and pelted 60 runs off just 22 deliveries, striking at 272.72.
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The Sri Lankans only needed to get past 101 to book a berth in the Super Four. They did that with absolute ease, and also went on to secure a comfortable victory. The architect for the Lankans in the second innings was Kusal Mendis who crafted a responsible fifty in order to get Sri Lanka over the line. Mendis opened the batting with Pathum Nissanka, and stayed put till the end.
Wickets kept tumbling at the other end, but the 30-year-old stayed put at the crease. More than his exploits, Mendis is known to play a well-balanced game on most occasions. He can take the attack to the opposition easily. But this knock was a very well-organized one. With wickets falling around him, he realised the importance of getting the team over the 101-run mark in order to qualify.
Mendis ended with an unbeaten 74 runs to see the game off. As a result, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four stages of the Asia Cup 2025. It has been a sad story for Afghanistan, who were rated as one of the top sides in Asia, alongside some of the heavyweights. However, they will have to introspect on the mistakes they made and be ready for the mega event which is scheduled next year.
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