156/9 (20.0)
CR : 7.80
160/10 (19.0)
CR : 8.42
Sri Lanka won by 4 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Matheesha Pathirana
4/245(4)
10:38 PM IST, Local Time: Matheesha Pathirana, remember the name! With his Lasith Malinga look-alike action, Pathirana once again proved how lethal he can be in the death overs, wreaking havoc with the ball and single-handedly turning the tide of the game. Sri Lanka clinched victory by a slender 4-run margin, going 1-0 up in the 3-match series.
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis cheaply. Dhananjaya de Silva looked in good touch but departed after playing a cameo of 17-ball 24 runs, leaving their side in a spot of bother. Charith Asalanka followed de Silva after scoring a mere 3 runs.
Sri Lanka were in a dire situation, and skipper, Wanindu Hasaranga, promoted himself up in the order and wreaked havoc with the bat, notching up his fifty off just 24 balls. Sadeera Samarawickrama played second fiddle in the partnership and contributed 25 runs before getting run out.
Naveen-ul-Haq trapped Hasaranga for 67 runs, which triggered another collapse for the hosts, as they lost their remaining wickets in a jiffy and got bundled out for 160 runs in 19 overs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed three wickets for Afghanistan. Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with a couple of wickets, while Noor Ahmad and Karim Janat contributed one wicket to Sri Lanka's downfall.
In pursuit of 160 runs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored rapidly from the second over of the innings. However, the latter departed after a cameo of 13 runs. Gulbadin Naib joined Zadran at number three but failed to bat long, departing for 16 runs off 17 balls.
Following Gulbadin's wicket, Afghanistan quickly lost three more wickets and found themselves in deep trouble. Zadran, however, continued his aggressive batting and reached his fifty. Karim Janat supported him well, adding 39 runs in partnership with Zadran. The game swung back and forth like a pendulum, and Noor Ahmad's six in the 18th over of the innings seemed to tip the balance in Afghanistan's favor. However, there was another twist in the game as Matheesha Pathirana took a couple of wickets in the penultimate over, conceding just 3 runs. This reduced the equation to 11 runs needed off the final over with only one wicket remaining for Afghanistan.
Ibrahim Zadran faced all 6 balls in the final over but failed to seal the deal as Afghanistan fell just 4 runs short of the target.
Matheesha Pathirana shone with the ball for the hosts and claimed 4 wickets. Dasun Shanaka extracted a couple of crucial wickets, while Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, and Wanindu Hasaranga celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stick around for the presentation...
Matheesha Pathirana shone with the ball for the hosts and claimed 4 wickets. Dasun Shanaka extracted a couple of crucial wickets, while Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, and Wanindu Hasaranga celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stick around for the presentation...
Time for the post-match presentation....
Player of the Match: Matheesha Pathirana
Matheesha Pathirana (Player of the Match): "I've always wanted to win this match. It's been a while since my T20I debut, and words can't express how happy I am. Getting breakthroughs isn't new to me; I've done it in the IPL and gained some experience. Winning this match was my goal, and I'm glad I could make it happen."
Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan captain): "Honestly, I don't like losing, but it's part of the game. We gave it our all, but unfortunately, we fell short in the end. We'll learn from this experience and aim to bounce back stronger. We had a good start, and chasing 160 seemed feasible, but we lost crucial wickets in the middle overs, which cost us the game. I tried my best to secure the win for the team, but with the lack of wickets remaining, I couldn't carry us through. While I'm satisfied with my innings, it wasn't enough. I'll focus on improving my game and aim to be a finisher for my nation in the future."
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka captain): "To be honest, we were short by 15-20 runs, but our bowlers really stepped up. With spinners dominating, I trusted myself as a batter. Thankfully, my approach paid off. Despite having a lineup of six batters and an all-rounder, the collapse was disappointing. Nevertheless, I relished the conditions out there."
That's all from this last-over thriller contest. Matheesha Pathirana turned the tide of the game in favor of the hosts, Sri Lanka, who now lead the series 1-0. Time to wrap up our coverage. For now, this is Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Raju Khariya. CHEERS!