Watch: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by two runs at Lahore on September 5 to qualify for the Super Four of Asia Cup 2023. Watch the SL v AFG highlights here.
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India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh had already qualified for the Super Four stage of the 2023 Asia Cup. Sri Lanka eliminated Afghanistan from the race to qualify as the fourth team.
Sri Lanka posted 291-8 after Dasun Shanaka opted to bat. Pathum Nissanka (41 in 40 balls) and Dimuth Karunaratne (32 in 35) added 63 in 62 balls for the opening stand, while Kusal Mendis top-scored with an 84-ball 92. For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib claimed 4-60.
To qualify for the Super Four, Afghanistan needed to chase the target in 37.1 overs, but Kasun Rajitha (4-79) took out two early wickets, and at 50-3, they seemed out of the race.
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But as captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (59 in 66 balls) stood firm, Rahmat Shah (45 in 40) had a go before Mohammad Nabi (65 in 32) blasted the fastest ODI fifty in Afghan history, off 26 balls.
Karim Janat (22 in 13), Najibullah Zadran (23 in 15), Rashid Khan (27 not out in 16) all kept Afghanistan in the game as Sri Lanka took out the wickets one by one.
When Dunith Wellalage (2-36) began the 37th over, Afghanistan needed another 15. Rashid found the boundary thrice (including an inside edge), and the qualification target came down to three off the last ball.
After much deliberation, Shanaka summoned Dhananjaya de Silva, who had Mujeeb Ur Rahman caught at long on. All was still not lost – Afghanistan could still qualify if they got 295 in 37.4 overs (six runs off the next three balls) – but they “weren’t communicated” about that.
Thus, No.11 Fazalhaq Farooqi decided to play out the over to ensure Rashid got the strike back, which would probably have got them a futile win. He defended the next two balls before Dhananjaya trapped him leg before, and Sri Lanka qualified.
