171/7 (19.5)
CR : 8.62
170/9 (20.0)
CR : 8.50
Afghanistan A won by 3 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Bilal Sami
4/45
Over 20
Afghanistan A 171/7
Qais Ahmad16(13)
Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai1(2)
Dunith Wellalage1-23(1.5)
AFG-A won by 3 wickets
8:24 PM IST, 5:54 PM Local Time: The match went right down to the wire, but Afghanistan A held their nerves and kickstart their campaign with a hard-fought 3-wicket win over Sri Lanka A.
Earlier, after opting to bat, Sri Lanka A posted 170/9 in their 20 overs. They were given a bright start by Vishen Halambage before a brilliant three-wicket over from Bilal Sami put them under pressure. The innings was revived through a valuable 66-run stand between skipper Dunith Wellalage and Nawanidu Fernando, though both fell while trying to up the scoring rate.
The real impetus came from Milan Rathnayake, whose explosive 41 off 19 balls lifted the total and shifted the momentum back in Sri Lanka A’s favour. Sami finished with 4/45, while AM Ghazanfar impressed with 3/32.
In reply, Afghanistan A suffered an early setback as Zubaid Akbari fell for just 5 in the opening over. However, Imran Mir and Sediqullah Atal counterattacked brilliantly, putting the Lankan bowlers under immediate pressure. Atal was especially aggressive, racing to a 22-ball fifty, while Imran contributed a solid 34. Their 84-run stand threatened to take the game away, but Vijayakanth struck twice in quick succession, removing both set batters and shifting the momentum. Afghanistan A then stumbled, losing wickets in clusters to slip to 111/5. Darwish Rasooli delivered a handy 32 runs off 22 balls and put things back on track for Afghanistan A.
Nangeyalia Kharote and Qais Ahmad (16*) added a crucial 30-run stand at the tail end, levelling the scores on the second ball of the final over. However, Kharote (15) holed out while going for the glory shot. Abdullah Ahmadzai then held his nerve and sealed the win on the penultimate ball of the match.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was the standout performer with the ball for Sri Lanka A, picking up three wickets, but he didn’t receive enough support from the rest of the attack. Milan Priyanath Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Isitha Wijesundera, and Dunith Wellalage chipped in with a wicket each, though the latter two proved quite expensive.
Stay tuned for the presentation…….
Earlier, after opting to bat, Sri Lanka A posted 170/9 in their 20 overs. They were given a bright start by Vishen Halambage before a brilliant three-wicket over from Bilal Sami put them under pressure. The innings was revived through a valuable 66-run stand between skipper Dunith Wellalage and Nawanidu Fernando, though both fell while trying to up the scoring rate.
The real impetus came from Milan Rathnayake, whose explosive 41 off 19 balls lifted the total and shifted the momentum back in Sri Lanka A’s favour. Sami finished with 4/45, while AM Ghazanfar impressed with 3/32.
In reply, Afghanistan A suffered an early setback as Zubaid Akbari fell for just 5 in the opening over. However, Imran Mir and Sediqullah Atal counterattacked brilliantly, putting the Lankan bowlers under immediate pressure. Atal was especially aggressive, racing to a 22-ball fifty, while Imran contributed a solid 34. Their 84-run stand threatened to take the game away, but Vijayakanth struck twice in quick succession, removing both set batters and shifting the momentum. Afghanistan A then stumbled, losing wickets in clusters to slip to 111/5. Darwish Rasooli delivered a handy 32 runs off 22 balls and put things back on track for Afghanistan A.
Nangeyalia Kharote and Qais Ahmad (16*) added a crucial 30-run stand at the tail end, levelling the scores on the second ball of the final over. However, Kharote (15) holed out while going for the glory shot. Abdullah Ahmadzai then held his nerve and sealed the win on the penultimate ball of the match.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was the standout performer with the ball for Sri Lanka A, picking up three wickets, but he didn’t receive enough support from the rest of the attack. Milan Priyanath Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Isitha Wijesundera, and Dunith Wellalage chipped in with a wicket each, though the latter two proved quite expensive.
Stay tuned for the presentation…….
Player of the Match — Bilal Sami
Lets hear from the POTM and the two skippers.
Bilal Sami (POTM): "(Translated from Pashto). Thanks to the almighty. I had my plans in my mind. I wanted to hit the deck hard and in the right areas. I tried to execute the plans given by my captain and coach. I wanted to hit the fourth-fifth stump and use my variation.
I always work hard, wether it is for the main team or for the A-team. This will give me confidence going forward."
I always work hard, wether it is for the main team or for the A-team. This will give me confidence going forward."
Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka A Captain): "I think we made a few mistakes while batting in the powerplay — that’s probably where things went wrong for us. Our bowlers, especially Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, performed really well.
Credit to Afghanistan’s bowlers too; they executed their plans nicely. Overall, there are plenty of positives for us as a team. We bowled well, but if we had scored another 10 runs, it could have been a different game"
Credit to Afghanistan’s bowlers too; they executed their plans nicely. Overall, there are plenty of positives for us as a team. We bowled well, but if we had scored another 10 runs, it could have been a different game"
Darwish Rasooli (Afghanistan-A captain): "(Translated from Pashto) The first match is always important in a tournament. So, this win gives us a lot of confidence. Our group is really tough. All teams are really strong. So, we have to win every match we play. We do not have to think of net run rate.
The start was good. Back to back wickets caused a headache in the middle overs. I had the belief that as long as I am in the middle I will finish the game. But I mistimed one. However, we won the match, so I am happy."
The start was good. Back to back wickets caused a headache in the middle overs. I had the belief that as long as I am in the middle I will finish the game. But I mistimed one. However, we won the match, so I am happy."
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