NEW DELHI: Afghanistan A won the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 by defeating Sri Lanka A by seven wickets at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Sri Lanka’s captain, Nuwanidu Fernando, decided to bat first after winning the toss. Sri Lanka managed to post a score of 133/7, with Sahan Arachchige scoring an unbeaten 64 runs from 47 balls, including six sixes. Nimesh Vimukthi and Pawan Rathnayake also contributed to the score with 23 and 20 runs, respectively.
Afghanistan’s bowling attack was led by Bilal Sami, who took three wickets while giving away 22 runs in his four-over spell. Allah Ghazanfar also took two wickets.
In the second inning, Afghanistan’s Zubaid Akbari was dismissed for zero runs on the first ball, putting early pressure on the team. However, Sediqullah Atal, who scored 55 runs from 55 balls, and Darwish Rasooli, who scored 24 runs from 20 balls, built a crucial partnership.
Karim Janat and Mohammad Ishaq further contributed to the chase. Janat scored 33 runs from 27 balls, while Ishaq added 16 runs from six balls. Afghanistan reached the target with three overs to spare.
The Sri Lankan bowling attack struggled to contain the Afghan batsmen. Eshan Malinga, Dushan Hemantha, and Sahan Arachchige were the only bowlers to take wickets for Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan A’s victory was marked by strong performances from multiple players, ensuring they clinched the championship title comfortably.
