Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | AFG vs SL Highlights, World Cup 2023: Omarzai, Shahidi lead AFG beat SL by 7 wickets

Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | AFG vs SL Highlights, World Cup 2023: Chasing a target of 242 runs, Afghanistan's Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Hashmatullah Shahidi led Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets with 28 balls remaining in the ICC Men's World Cup match in Pune on 30 October. 

Batting second, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz for DUCK in the very first over and then lost Ibrahim Zadran (39), but Rahmat Shah (62), skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (58*) and Azmatullah Omarzai (73*) played a knock to remember.  This led their team to defeat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets. 

For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka took two wickets and Kasun Rajitha picked one wicket. 

Sri Lankans scored a below-par 241 all out against Afghanistan in their World Cup match and lost all their wickets at 242. 

Invited to bat, opener Pathum Nissanka (46), Kusal Mendis (39), and Sadeera Samarawickrama (36) all got starts but failed to capitalize as Afghan bowlers managed to take wickets regularly.

Fazalhaq Farooqi (4/34) snapped four wickets to emerge as the most successful bowler for Afghanistan. It was a collective effort as Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/38), Azmatullah Omarzai (1/37) Rashid Khan (1/50) all were among important wickets.

However, Maheesh Theekshana (29) and Angelo Mathews (23) added a valuable 45 off 42 balls for the eighth wicket to provide them the late momentum.

Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka's impressive run of successive World Cup fifties came to an end when he was out for 46 against Afghanistan in Pune on Monday.

Nissanka was in sight of his fifth half-century in six matches this tournament when he was caught behind trying to cut Afghanistan paceman Azmatullah Omarzai to end a 60-ball innings including five fours.

His exit left Sri Lanka 84-2 in the 19th over after they had lost the toss.

The 25-year-old Nissanka started the tournament with a duck against South Africa before reeling off scores of 51 (against Pakistan), 61 (Australia), 54 (Netherlands) and 77 not out (England).

Both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have slim chances of reaching the semi-finals of the tournament with just 4 points each from their 5 matches. However, Sri Lanka are currently 5th on the points table thanks to a better run rate, while Afghanistan are just below them in 6th place.

Afghanistan's confidence will be sky high after their thumping victory over neighbours Pakistan. Afghanistan's spinners, who have been at the heart of the team's success, were in fine form again in their last game, but in a shock result, the Aghan batsmen chased down the 283-run target with 8 wickets to spare.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankans will also be brimming with confidence after an emphatic victory over the reigning world champions in their last match. The Lankan bowling attack, which has been guilty of giving away too many runs in previous encounters, managed to keep the English batsmen at bay in the previous game, thanks largely to an exceptional bowling performance from pacer Lahiru Kumara.

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan World Cup squad: 

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne.

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w/k), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (w/k), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and Naveen ul Haq.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Head-to-head records

These two teams have played 11 ODIs against each other so far. Sri Lanka has won 7 of those and Afghanistan 3. One match did not produce any results. The last time these two met was in September 2023, when Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 2 runs.

These two have faced off twice in World Cups, with Sri Lanka winning both matches. In 2019, Sri Lanka won by 34 runs (DLS). Before that, in 2015, Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets. Not to forget that both these teams have evolved a lot over the last few years.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Highlights

Sri Lanka Batting:

Karunaratne walked back with the score reading 22 for 1.

Pacer Azmat Omarzai got the prized wicket of Nissanka.

With Afghanistan spinners being pressed into service from both ends, Samarawickrama, who came in at the fall of Nissanka, and Mendis were kept under a tight leash.

Mendis tried a big shot, but he was caught at deep midwicket by Najibullah Zadran off Mujeeb for 39.

Mujeeb struck again to get rid of the dangerous Samarawickrama for 36 off the first ball of the 30th over to reduce the Islanders to 139 for 4.

The century-maker against Pakistan, Samarawickrama, who has had a brilliant World Cup so far, was flummoxed by a Mujeeb googly which drifted in sharply and trapped him plumb in front.

Wickets kept falling at regular intervals with Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dushmantha Chameera all failing to play an innings of substance as the Lankan innings folded rapidly.

Afghanistan Batting: 

Chasing a target of 242 runs, Afghanistan lost their opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the fourth delivery of the first over.

Afghanistan completed111-run  50 runs in 9.6 overs (60 balls)

2nd Wicket partnership of 50 runs between Ibrahim Zadran (28) and Rahmat Shah (20) comes up in 56 balls.

Madushanka the brought back into attack by Kusal Mendis and delivers, as he departs Ibrahim in the fifth delivery of 17th over.

Rahmat Shah completes his 25th half-century in 61 balls.

Kasun Rajitha continues his attack and departs Rahmat Shah (62) on the last delivery of the 28th over.

Afghanistan completed 150 runs in 32.1 overs (193 balls).

Afghanistan and  200 runs in 39.5 overs (239 balls)

Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi completes his 18th half-century off 67 balls.

Azmatullah Omarzai completes third ODI half-century off off 50 balls.

Afghanistan's batter Hashmatullah Shahidi completes 2000 runs in ODI. 

Omarzai, Shahidi built an 111-runs partnership partnership, and helped Afghanistan win by 7 wickets against Sri Lanka. The 100-runs partnership arrived in 93 balls.

Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi became the ‘Player of the Match’ for picking up four wickets.