In a nail-biting contest, Afghanistan came oh-so-close to advancing to the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. Their hopes were dashed as Sri Lanka secured a heart-stopping 2-run victory in a thrilling match held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
In a thrilling cricket match, Afghanistan faced the difficult task of chasing down 292 runs in just 37.1 overs. They came tantalizingly near but fell short by a small margin. Sri Lanka had achieved a competitive total of 291 runs in their allotted 50 overs. The partnership between Maheesh Theekshana (28) and Dunith Wellalage (33) was essential, as they contributed 64 critical runs when Sri Lanka found themselves in a vulnerable situation at 227 for the loss of 7 wickets.
Kusal Mendis emerged as the highest scorer for Sri Lanka with an amazing 92 runs. Afghanistan’s middle-order batters demonstrated amazing resilience against the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Mohammad Nabi’s stunning performance of 65 runs from just 32 balls drew Afghanistan back into contention after losing early wickets. Later in the innings, Najibullah Zadran (23) and Rashid Khan (27) put in a tremendous effort, but regrettably, they couldn’t achieve the requisite runs for victory.
Sri Lanka secured a thrilling victory against Afghanistan at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, earning them a spot in the Super Four round of the 2023 Asia Cup. Alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh also advanced to the next stage of the competition. Sri Lanka emerged as the topper of group B, amassing 4 points from their 2 games, while Bangladesh secured 2 points from their 2 matches. Unfortunately, Afghanistan concluded their Asia Cup campaign without a single win this year.
In the upcoming Super Four round, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will join India and Pakistan, setting the stage for some exciting cricket battles. Sri Lanka topped group B with 4 points and an impressive net run rate of 0.594, while Bangladesh secured the second spot with 2 points and a net run rate of 0.373.
Asia Cup 2023 Most Runs:
The leading run-scorers list remains pretty consistent, with only one change as Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, breaks into the top 5. Leading the batting statistics in the 2023 Asia Cup is Bangladesh’s middle-order batsman, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has notched up an astounding 193 runs in just two matches. Following closely behind is Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam, with 151 runs to his name. Another Bangladeshi player, the ambidextrous Mehidy Hasan Miraz, owns the third place with 117 runs in two innings. Both Mehidy Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto achieved a century in their match against Afghanistan. Iftikhar Ahmed secured the fourth slot with a total of 109 runs. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, joins the elite list with a similar score of 109 runs in two innings.
Top 5 leading run-scorers in Asia Cup 2023:
1. Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh) – 193 Runs
2. Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 151 Runs
3. Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh) – 117 Runs
4. Iftikhar Ahmed (Pakistan) – 109 Runs
5. Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan) – 109 Runs
Asia Cup 2023 Most Wickets:
Pakistan’s left-arm sensation, Shaheen Afridi, has been lighting the Asia Cup on fire with his outstanding bowling talents, leading the wicket-taking numbers with an incredible score of six wickets in just two matches. In the tournament opener, Shaheen shined with a fantastic four-wicket haul against India, and he continued his great form with a further two wickets against Nepal.
Following closely behind Shaheen is another Pakistani fast-bowling prodigy, Haris Rauf, who has chalked up an amazing five wickets in his two games. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Taskin Ahmed is sharing the third spot with Haris, also possessing five wickets to his name. Taskin’s greatest performance came in a dramatic encounter against Afghanistan, where he demonstrated his bowling prowess.
Top 5 leading wicket-takers in Asia Cup 2023
1. Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) – 6 Wickets
2. Haris Rauf (Pakistan) – 5 Wickets
3. Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh) – 5 Wickets
4. Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka) – 5 Wickets
5. Gulbadin Naib (Afghanistan) – 5 Wickets
