Sri Lanka have qualified for the Super Fours of the 2023 Asia Cup, after defending 291 runs and eliminating Afghanistan in the process in a thriller at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today (September 5).

Having lost their first game against Bangladesh, Afghanistan came into this match needing a big victory to leapfrog the net run rates of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. For Sri Lanka, even a narrow defeat would have sufficed to go through.

The mid-innings net run rate permutations showed that Afghanistan needed to chase down the 292-run target in 37.1 overs (38.1 if they finished with a six after tying the scores) to qualify for the Super Fours, implying they needed to go at almost eight runs per over.

Chasing 292, Afghanistan started in poor fashion. Their two lynchpins at the top, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, were both dismissed for single-digit scores. The middle order then came to the party. Naib, promoted to No.3, played a 16-ball cameo for 22.

Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi hit 45 and 59 respectively, adding 71 runs for the fourth wicket. However, the innings of the night came off the bat of Mohammad Nabi.

The former Afghanistan skipper blasted a 24-ball 50, the fastest ever by an Afghan batter in ODI cricket. He hit six fours and five sixes en route to a 32-ball 65 that infused life in an otherwise meandering run-chase. When he was dismissed at the score of 201 in the 27th over, Afghanistan needed another 91 runs in 64 balls with five wickets in hand.

Cameos from the lower order, including a 13-ball 22 from Karim Janat, 15-ball 23 from Najibullah Zadran, and 16-ball 24 from Rashid Khan provided a lot of hope to the Afghan fans. However, in the end, it wasn’t to be.

Needing 15 to win with two wickets in hand at the start of the 37th over, Rashid Khan hit three fours off Dunith Wellalage. At the end of 37 overs, Afghanistan were just three short of their target. Mujeeb Ur Rahman perished off the first ball of the next over, bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva. Afghanistan still had a chance.

At best, they had time till 38.1 overs to win and qualify for the Super Fours. But the pair of Rashid and Fazalhaq Farooqi seemed oblivious to the fact as the latter blocked out the next few deliveries, only to be caught in front by one of them.

Sri Lanka were smart with their bowling changes. They realised that there was no point holding back their main bowlers. Maheesh Theekshana finished his quota of ten overs by the 34th over of the innings, while Matheesha Pathirana and Kasun Rajitha finished theirs by the 35th and 36th.

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first. Their innings ebbed and flowed. A 63-run opening stand was followed by three quick wickets, all of which belonged to Gulbadin Naib. Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka then joined hands for a 102-run fourth-wicket partnership that took Sri Lanka to 188-3. A Rashid Khan-inspired comeback saw Afghanistan reduce Sri Lanka to 227-7 in the 40th over.

However, the final act of the innings was left. Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana stitched a 64-run eighth-wicket partnership, denting Afghanistan’s hopes of restricting Sri Lanka to a low total as they finished on 291-8.

With this win, Sri Lanka have booked their place in the Super Fours of the 2023 Asia Cup alongside Bangladesh from Group B.

Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.