AFG Vs SL, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Clinical Afghanistan Beat Sri Lanka, Keep Semis Hopes Alive - As It Happened

Afghanistan are having a memorable World Cup. Third win in the last 4 matches. First England, then Pakistan and now Sri Lanka. They have defeated two Asian giants in back-to-back games. Both are comprehensive wins. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and offered Sri Lanka to bat first. Afghan bowlers bowled beautifully and all-out Sri Lanka for a below-par total of 241 runs thanks to Fazalhaq Farooqi's four-wicket haul. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also grabbed a brace. Sri Lankan bowler Dilshan Madushanka gave an early breakthrough but Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran added 73 runs for the second wicket to release some pressure. Rahmat Shah 62(74) played sensible cricket and built his innings first with Ibrahim and then with Hashmatullah Shahidi. After his dismissal, Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai 73(63) took Afghanistan to another famous victory in this World Cup. Afghanistan will face Netherlands in Lucknow on Friday and Sri Lanka will unbeaten India on Thursday in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Catch cricket scores and highlights of AFG Vs SL match here (Scores | Match Report | Points Table)

That's all from our side!

Player of the match - Fazalhaq Farooqi (10-1-34-4)

Afghanistan in the World Cup
First 17 matches - 1 Win
Last 4 matches - 3 Wins

Brief score: AFG - 242/3 (45.2)

Azmatullah Omarzai - 73(63),  Rahmat Shah - 62(74)  |  Dilshan Madushanka: (9-0-48-2)

10:00 pm: AFG won by 7 wickets!
Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai finished the thing early. The last 41 runs came in 32 balls. Both batters were set and used the pace of the bowlers to make runs. This consecutive victory takes Afghanistan to the 5th spot in the points table and keeps the hopes of the semifinals alive for Afghanistan.

9:30 pm: AFG - 201/3; Overs 31-40 Highlights
Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi's partnership is 70 runs now and still going strong. Both batters have proved their mettle and managed to stand tall when the tram required. 62 runs have been added in the last 10 overs without any wicket loss. Positive attitude shown by both the batters. Azmatullah Omarzai hit 3 sixes in 4 overs to put the pressure back on Sri Lanka. Kusal Mendis used all his tactics but nothing worked against the positive will of Afghan batters. 40 runs required in the last 10 overs. Only a miracle can win this for Sri Lanka from here.

8:35 pm: AFG - 139/3; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Afghanistan batters showed better intent in this phase as compared to the previous phase. Still, 30 dot balls were played in the phase and 52 runs were made. Hashmatullah Shahidi top-edged and the ball went for a six at the start of his innings. After that both batters diligently and carefully. Rahmat Shah was dropped on 62 but could not utilise that as Kasun Rajitha dismissed him on the very next ball with a cross-seamer. Azmatullah Omarzai joined Shahidi on the crease after Rahmat's dismissal. Afghanistan still need more than 100 runs from here and with wickets in hand, the target is achievable. Sri Lanka will go for wickets in the next phase and will try to improve their fielding.

7:55 pm: AFG - 87/2; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah slowed the run rate and dealt in singles and doubles to score runs as not a single boundary was scored in the last 10 overs. Dilshan Madushanka was introduced again into the attack and he was rewarded with Ibrahim Zadran's wicket after he tried to play a pull shot on the short ball and ended up losing his wicket. 28 dot balls were played in this phase and that kept building the pressure on Afghani batters. Sri Lanka bowled in good areas and did not give any free chance to the batters. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi joined Rahmat Shah after Ibrahim's dismissal.

7:10 pm: AFG - 50/1; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Dilshan Madushanka bowled Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over and Afghanistan lost their first wicket without a single run on the board when Rahmat Shah walked out to bat. Both Rahmat and Ibrahim Zadran have played sensible cricket and even after one wicket down for no run, soaked all the pressure. They punished bad balls and respected good deliveries. After now boundary on the first 17 balls, Afghans made sure that every over must have a boundary in it. A 50-run stand was also completed between the two as 50 runs were scored in the first powerplay with the loss of Rahmanulllah Gurbaz's wicket.

6:40 pm: Uncle Percy passed away
Some sad news for Sri Lanka Cricket, super fan Uncle Percy has passed away.

6:26 pm: Afghanistan start batting
Dilshan Madishanka opened the bowling attack for the Sri Lankan side and the Rahmanullah Gurbaz-Ibrahim Zadran pair opened the batting for Afghanistan. Madushanka struck early in the game and bowled Rahmanullah Gurbaz to put Afghanistan under pressure. Rahmat Shah joined Ibrahim Zadran and opened the account with a single. Two runs from the first over with the loss of one wicket.

Innings Break!
Afghanistan proved their call of bowling first right when they dismissed the Sri Lankan innings for a below-par score of 241 all out with three balls remaining. Afghan bowlers bowled at the right areas and kept the Lankan batters at bay. Fazalhaq Farooqi, who is coming back into the team took 4 wickets and bowled economical spells whenever he was introduced into the attack. Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana added some crucial runs at the end to post a respectable total on the board after the middle order was collapsed by two successive wickets by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. But, Farooqi dismissed both and wrapped up Sri Lankan innings for 241 runs. Now, Afghanistan would try to go for the chase carefully since the last two games have been low-scoring and the chasing team had been on the losing side. The road to victory from here would not be easy for Afghanistan as Sri Lanka also have quality bowlers and world-class spinners.

Target set for Afghanistan - 242 runs in 300 balls

Brief score: SL - 241/10 (49.3)

Pathum Nissanka - 46(60),  Kusal Mendis - 39(50)  |  Fazalhaq Farooqi: (10-1-34-4)

6:00 pm: SL - 241/10; Overs 41-50 Highlights
Maheesh Theeekshana and Angelo Mathews added some crucial runs at the end to put up a defendable total on the board after the middle order was crushed by the Afghanistan bowling attack. However, it was a brilliant bowling display from the Afghans to stop the Lankan Lions on just 241 runs. Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana were going big and adding runs at a good pace when Fazalhaq Farooqi was introduced for the final time into the attack and he delivered with the wickets of both the batters to put Afghanistan again on top. Afghanistan now need 242 runs to win this match. 

5:10 pm: SL - 185/7; Overs 31-40 Highlights
The Sri Lankan middle order collapsed after tight bowling and consistent pressure-building from Afghan bowlers. The first four overs of this phase were boundary-less and after that Rashid Khan dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva with a googly. Charith Asalanka also lost his wicket on a short ball from Fazalhaq Farooqi. Brilliant fielding from Ibrahim Zadran sent Dushmanta Chameera back to the pavilion for just 1 run. 41 runs were added in the last 10 overs with the loss of three wickets. 

4:20 pm: SL - 144/4; Overs 21-30 Highlights
Azmatullah Omarzai conceded 11 runs from his 5th over. Kusal Mendis accelerated the run rate and runs started to come at a good pace. Mujeeb Ur Rahman got Kusal Mendis dismissed for 39 after he tried to go big and got caught at deep mid-wicket. Mujeeb struck again when Sadeera Samarawickrama was found in front of the wicket and was given LBW out by the umpire. He took DRS and wasted it. 57 runs were added in this phase with the loss of two set batters.

3:40 pm: SL - 87/2; Overs 11-20 Highlights
Pathum Nissanka continued to find boundaries on command. But the run rate was a matter of concern for Sri Lanka. To improve that, Nissanka got out to Azmatullah Omarzai after making 46 runs. Afghan bowlers kept their lengths tight and did not leak runs. Kusal Mendis broke the shackles and hit a well-times boundary off Naveen-Ul-Haq. Both batters were adding runs easily when Omarzai broke their more than 50-run stand and gave the second breakthrough to Afghanistan. Man-in-form Sadeera Samarawickrama joined Captain Kusal Mendis on the ground.

2:50 pm: SL - 41/1; Overs 1-10 Highlights
Slow and steady start from Sri Lankan batters because of tight bowling from Afghan bowlers. Dimuth Karunaratne hit the first boundary of the innings in the 6th over. Fazalhaq Faroqi dismissed him on the very next delivery. Karunaratne falls for 15 runs after a successful review for LBW from Afghanistan. Kusal Mendis joined Pathum Nissanka in the middle. Nissanka went for a couple of boundaries and shifted the gears for Sri Lanka. 41 runs from the first powerplay with Karunaratne's wicket loss.

2:05 pm: Sri Lanka start batting
Mujeeb Ur Rahman opened the Afghan bowling attack. Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne are at the crease to open the innings for Sri Lanka. Nissanka faced the first ball. four singles from the first over. Sri Lanka are off the mark.

1:32 pm: Toss Update

Afghanistan have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka

1:32 pm: What captains said
Hashmatullah Shahidi: We'd want to start with bowling. The reason for this is that it will be dew later. We're at ease, and we're playing fantastic cricket. We are currently concentrating on how we will play good cricket. We rested Noor today because of the conditions, and Fazalhaq has taken his position.

Kusal Perera: I was hoping to bat first, put up a good score, and then defend. We have done well in all three phases of the game in the previous three matches, batting, bowling, and fielding, and we want to do so again. Chameera is playing today, and maybe he will do well. Perera is out, and Karunaratne takes his place. He performed well in the qualification matches, and I have confidence in him.

1:25 pm: Rashid Khan's 100th ODI
Rashid Khan is set to play his 100th ODI today and he is receiving a momento from their coach, Jonathan Trott.

1:20 pm: Pitch Report
The straight boundary is 74 metres long, while the square boundaries are 67 and 61 metres long, respectively. The average score is 300, and it appears to be quite even. It appears dry, yet it has a shining appearance. It won't be difficult to turn. There will be a lot of runs on it. anticipate the ball to do a bit with the brand new ball, but as it ages, anticipate the ball to come on well. Turning up to a pitch like this is a batsman's dream, according to Aaron Finch and Simon Doull.

1:05 pm: Head-to-head

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have faced each other 11 times in ODIs with the Islanders taking 7 wins to Afghans' 3. One match ended in No Result.

12:55 pm: Squads

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

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

Preview:

Perhaps to the surprise of many, both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka find themselves amid a battle with the best of the rest to sneak into the fourth and final sport for the knockout stage. Currently trailing the leading pack by four points, the pair go head-to-head in Pune in what is their sixth match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Sri Lanka have won both of their two previous games, beating England in the last encounter to position themselves fifth in the table. Afghanistan, with two wins in their previous three, are only behind their opponents on Net Run Rate. Afghanistan beat Pakistan in their previous match, courtesy of a splendid performance with the bat by the top order. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka built their triumph over England on their proficiency with the ball, with Lahiru Kumara the star among a prolific bowling attack on the night.

12:45 pm: Greetings!

Hello and welcome to Match 30 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Pune, where Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will play each other in a bid to close the gap on the leading pack. Stay tuned for more updates.