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Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 4 wickets in the opening match of the Super Four stage in the ongo💃ing Asia Cup 2022 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a big target of 176, Sri Lankan batters came up with vital contributions to make sure they put on a successful chase. Openers Pathum Nissanka (35 off 28) and Kusal Mendis (36 off 19) scored crucial runs at the top before Danushka Gunathilaka (33 off 20) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (꧒31 off 14) chipped in with impactful innings to help the Islanders seal the thriller.
Earlier, after being put to bat first, Afghanistan destroyed Sri Lanka bowlers and posted a massive 175/6 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a scintillating knock by Rahmanullah Gurbaz of 84 runs fro❀m 45 deliveries with the help of 10 boundarᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚies, including 6 sixes.
Apart from Gurbaz, batter Ibrahim Zadran smashed 40 off 38 balls as Afghanistan reached a competitive total. For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka pi♓cked up a couple of wickets while conceding 37 runs in his quota of 4 overs.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Brilliant chase from Sri Lanka! 👊
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC)
Now that's a near-perfect chase. Lots of positives in this game, got to applaud the death bowling in particular, could have easily been left to chase 190+ if not for those overs from Theekshana and Fernando.
— Estelle Vasudevan (@Estelle_Vasude1)
Brilliant win for SL! Chasing down 176💙. Not a single SL batter got 50. But 4 mid size inninꦡgs coming at strike rates of 189,165,221 & 177 did it! Better way to win T20 games I think.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar)
Statistical highlights of Sri Lanka win:
– Highest successful T20I chase in Sharjah
– Highest ever succesful chase against Afghanistan in T20Is
– First loss for Afghanistan after posting 170+ when batting first | |— 🏏Flashscore Cricket (@FlashCric)
With ENG, Silverwood perhaps had too much to do.
Jus🙈t as a head coach, he is doing a fine job w🧔ith SL.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12)
Played, Sri Lanka. Rest꧃ricted Afghanistan in the slog overs and the chase was pretty much spot on.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh)
What a chase by Sri Lanka, beaten Afghanis💖tan by 4𓃲 wickets in the Asia Cup.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Lions Roar back
Sri Lanka showed glimpses of talent in last world T20
That Afghan defeat wake up them
They are a dangerous T20 batting side with Class stroke makers
Doubt a bit on their bowling thou— Abdul Ghaffar 🇵🇰 (@GhaffarDawnNews)
179/6 by Sri Lanka today is the highest ever run-chase in a ❀T20I at Sharjah
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket)
Cannot understand how Naveen ul Haq have managed to top the wicket charts in two Blasꦰt seasons which presents some of the flattest decks. Gets smashed by any half decent sides pretty much everywhere else he plays.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
