Kusal Mendis delivered a masterful, unbeaten 74-run innings that propelled Sri Lanka into the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. Their commanding six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday officially knocked Afghanistan out of the tournament, while simultaneously confirming Bangladesh’s advancement from Group B.
Chasing a target of 170, Sri Lanka’s pursuit faced early challenges as openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara fell cheaply. However, Mendis rose to the occasion, anchoring the innings with a blend of careful defense and timely attacking shots. His impressive 52-ball innings was the bedrock upon which Sri Lanka built their successful chase.
Kusal Perera contributed a quick 28, while Charith Asalanka added vital runs in the middle order. Ultimately, Kamindu Mendis sealed the victory with an unbeaten 26, guiding Sri Lanka across the finish line with eight balls remaining. The winning runs came in the 19th over when Mendis elegantly pulled Mujeeb Ur Rahman for a boundary, clinching the match at 171/4.
Earlier in the match, Afghanistan managed to post 169/8, largely thanks to an explosive 22-ball 60 from Mohammad Nabi. Nabi’s brilliant counter-attack briefly shifted the momentum in Afghanistan’s favor during a period of struggle. Rashid Khan’s valuable late cameo of 24 also played a part, but Afghanistan’s innings couldn’t fully recover from the consistent fall of wickets.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Nuwan Thushara, who delivered an outstanding performance with figures of 4/18. His accurate and varied deliveries dismantled Afghanistan’s top order, effectively preventing them from building a truly formidable total despite Nabi’s heroics.
Although Afghanistan fought hard with the ball, picking up early wickets and maintaining pressure, their efforts were ultimately undone by costly fielding errors. With this defeat, Afghanistan exits the tournament having secured only one victory, while Sri Lanka’s superior experience and composure shone through in this critical encounter.
Sri Lanka now advances to the Super Four stage with significant momentum, where they are eagerly anticipating tougher challenges, including a rematch with Bangladesh.