Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Asia Cup 2022 Highlights: Sri Lanka Beat Afghanistan By 4 Wickets In Nail-Biter | Cricket News

SL vs AFG: SL win by 4 wickets

And Karunaratne hits out of the inner circle and Sri Lanka win by 4 wickets. Another thrilling chase by the Islanders. 

It’s a good bye for now. See you tomorrow for the India-Pakistan blockbuster from Dubai.

SL vs AFG: Bowled him

Naveen gets Rajapaksa with a slower one! Rajapaksa tries to finish this but Naveen took the pace off it, Nips back to knock the off stump

SL vs AFG: Creamed away by Rajapaksa

Smashed away! Rajapaksa is on a mission. In the slot, and he picks the gap nicely.

SL vs AFG: Edged and four

Hasaranga has joined the party! Another short slow bouncer, and Hasaranga looks to flat bat this down the ground but gets a top edge high past the keeper and short third

SL vs AFG: Bowled him

Rashid takes his revenge! Gunathilaka misses his sweep and Rashid pegs back his leg stump. Afghanistan are back this

SL vs AFG: Excellent batting this

Gunathilaka bring out the reverse sweep! Picks out the gap again and this will run away for a boudary. Rashid goes straight to him and both have a heated exchange. Rajapaksa tries to be the peace keeper

SL vs AFG: Caught! dropped! caught again! and finally dropped!

Dropped! That could’ve made things easier for Afghanistan. Rajapaksa tries to hit it along the line but doesn’t get the connection. Shinwari fumbles and drops

SL vs AFG: Slashes away for a boundary

Rajapaksa, take a bow! Good length delivery, and Rajapaksa cuts it in the gap. Uses the pace and opens the face of the bat.

SL vs AFG: Taken at long-off

Excellent stuff on the boundary from Najeeb! Creamed down the ground by Shanaka and Najib takes a stunned at long-off. 

SL vs AFG: That has gone all the way

Gunathilaka gets under it and launches it high on the leg side. Falls behind the two Afghanistan fielders for a six

SL vs AFG: Shanaka survives

Rashid traps Shanaka in front and umpite did not hesitate! Shanaka takes the review and he survives

SL vs AFG: Inside edge on to the stumps!

He has played it on to the stumps! Goes for the big slog sweep, but only manages to deflect it onto the stumps

SL vs AFG: Clears the boundary

Gunathilaka makes room and hits through the line. Lands on the tents.

SL vs AFG: Goes into the road

Clobbered away for a six! Nissanka bring out the sweep, not for the first time in this innings. Mujeeb flights it and he gets down on one knee to hit this behind the stands

SL vs AFG: Mendis departs

Huge wicket for Afghanistan! Mendis picks out the man at deep. Naveen with the breakthrough. How crucial this wicket will be?

SL vs AFG: Back to back sixes from Mendis

Back to back sixes to end the powerplay! Kusal Mendis gets down on one knee and sweeps this towards the leg side. Falls just behind the boundary line

SL vs AFG: Easy pickings for Sri Lanka

On the pads, Kusal slashes it hard. Finds a thick outside edge and the pace helps him beat the man at short fine leg

SL vs AFG: Top edge over the keeper

Top-edged for a four! Sri Lanka get a bit lucky. Farooqi bowls a short-pitched ball and Nissanka goes for a pull. Takes a thick edge and flies over the keeper

SL vs AFG: Run out on the final delivery

Rashid tries to steal an extra runs but falls way too short. Excellent effort from Sri Lanka to pull this below 180.

They will need to 176.

SL vs AFG: Swung away for a six

What a hit! Pitched short and Rashid tonks this over deep midwicket for a maximum.

SL vs AFG: Run out

Hit hard to mid-off and they look to steal a single. But the throw is a good one to the striker’s end and Kusal does the rest. Najib departs

SL vs AFG: Caught and bowled

Off the bottom of the bat and Theekshana takes an easy catch. Nabi departs

SL vs AFG: Scooped to short fine-leg

Tries the scoop but hits straight to short fine leg! Ibrahim goes across the crease early. Madushanka spots the move and slows it right up

SL vs AFG: Unlucky

Big inside edge and Zadran will get a boundary. No fielder at fine leg

SL vs AFG: Rahmanullah falls

Rahmanullah goes for a big one but he mistimes. Hasaranga had plenty of time and he settles down to take a difficult catch. He falls on 84

SL vs AFG: Poor delivery

Terrible delivery! Pitches it straight down the leg and beyond the keeper’s reach. Easy pickings for Sri Lanka

SL vs AFG: Just clears the man in the deep

Ibrahim finally gets a clean connection. Just clears the man in the deep. This will give him some confidence

SL vs AFG: That’s gone all the way

Doesn’t get the desired connection but the short boundaries in Sharjah means it comfortably cleared deep extra cover

SL vs AFG: A boundary at last

Thick edge and past short third and beyond him and running away for four. 22 balls since the last boundary

SL vs AFG: Gurabaz’s got to fifty!

That brings up the fifty for Gurbaz. Gets there in 22 balls.

SL vs AFG: Tonked

Swept away for a six! Beautiful shot from Gurbaz. Gets down one knee and sweeps this over deep midwicket for a six

SL vs IND: Off-stump rattled

Ball stays a shade low with Zazai trying to slog across the line. Off stump pegged pack

SL vs BAN: Pierced away

Punched away on the backfoot! Uses the pace nicely and is able to beat the flying man at backward point

SL vs AFG: Slashed hard by Rahmanullah

Cut away by Gurbaz! Too much width on offer. He takes his time and cuts this towards off side for a boundary

SL vs AFG: Suspense

What the hell just happened? Sri Lanka thought they had Rahmanullah. However, the replay shows that Gunathilaka stepped on the skirting, and the Afghanistan batter was called back.

SL vs AFG: Edged and four

Edge and flies past the keeper! Fernando almost gets Zazai. Mendis, behind the sticks, laughs

SL vs AFG:

And Zazai is up and running. Width on offer. Zazai leans forward and creams a drive over mid off’s right! First boundary of the match

SL vs AFG: And we are under

Theekshana gets this underway with the new ball. Bowls a waist length delivery and Zazai inside edges it to short fine leg. No run

SL vs AFG: Here’s how both teams line up

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana,  Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

Afghanistan XI: Hazratullah Zazai , Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Usman Shinwari, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

SL vs AFG: Sri Lanka opt to bowl

Sri Lanka have won the toss and Afghanistan will bat first.