Asian Games 2023: Afghanistan dumps defending champion Sri Lanka to enter semifinal

Sri Lanka’s target looked gettable, but it blew the run chase with experienced quick Naib’s 3-28 and young leg-spinner Ahmad’s 3-16 doing the damage as it was bundled out for 108.

Gulbadin Naib celebrates after dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne during the Asia Cup match.  | Photo Credit: AP

Gulbadin Naib and Qais Ahmad grabbed three wickets apiece as battling Afghanistan beat defending champion Sri Lanka by eight runs on Wednesday to book an Asian Games semifinal against Pakistan.

After being sent in to bat, the Afghans were dismissed for just 116 in the 19th over on a Hangzhou pitch offering pace, sharp turn and fierce bounce.

Seamer Nuwan Thushara bagged 4-17 with Noor Ali Zadran’s 51 the only resistance.

Sri Lanka’s target looked gettable, but it blew the run chase with experienced quick Naib’s 3-28 and young leg-spinner Ahmad’s 3-16 doing the damage as it was bundled out for 108.

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T20 cricket has been played at the Asian Games twice before, at Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, with Afghanistan runners-up both times, to Bangladesh and then Sri Lanka.

They brought a host of top-flight players to China, including hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Shahzad and all-rounder Naib.

Thushara, who made his debut against Australia in Sydney last year, struck with his first ball, bowling opener Sediqullah Atal for one.

Shahzad (20) and Zadran steadied the ship and put on 54 for the next wicket. But when Shahidullah (23) became the third man down, the flood gates opened with eight wickets falling for 24 and none of the last seven batters getting out of single figures.

The uneven pitch also proved a problem though for Sri Lanka, with boundaries hard to come by and no-one able to get going.

Teenage opener Shevon Daniel is tipped as a rising star, but on his T20 debut he only managed nine, with Naib causing problems for the top order.

Ahmad’s leg-spin then helped reduce Sri Lanka to 78-7 and when captain Sahan Arachchige was run out for 22, it was flailing on 84-8 and there was no way back.

Bangladesh takes on Malaysia in the other quarterfinal on Wednesday with the winner meeting India for a place in the final.