Afghanistan celebrated a historic night on Friday with victory in Al Amerat! The Afghan Abdalyans defeated India A in the semi-final of the ACC Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup 2024, by 20 runs. They set the highest total of the tournament at 206/4, entering their first ever final of the tournament. (Match Highlights)
In a match defined by numbers, the unbeaten India Blues finally succumbed to Afghanistan A. Ramandeep Singh's valiant half-century, Rasikh Salam's three-wicket haul and India's total of 186/7, their highest of the tournament, all went in vain.
Batting first, Afghanistan A had announced its win right from the powerplay capitalizing on a commanding 137-run opening partnership between Sediqullah Atal (83 off 52 balls) and Zubaid Akbari (64 off 41 balls) to post the tournament's highest total, reaching a formidable total of 206/4 in 20 overs.
In response, India A struggled from the outset, losing half their lineup by the 13th over. All hopes rested on Ramandeep, who launched a spirited fightback alongside Nishant Sindhu in the death overs, crafting a quick 68-run partnership in just 31 balls. However, needing 53 runs off the last 18 balls proved too steep, as their required run rate climbed to 17.1 when Inia was at their best, 10.
And the situation worsened when Nishant (23 off 13) was run out due to miscommunication. In the final over, with 30 runs required, Abdul Rahman (2/32) held his nerve, dismissing Ramandeep on the last ball and restricting India to 186/7, securing Afghanistan’s place in the final. It was not meant to be for India.
Earlier in the day, the Lankans beat Pakistan Shaheens by seven wickets in the first semi-final to advance to the final. Now the final match of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup will witness a clash between Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A on October 27.
(With PTI inputs)
