Nuwan Thushara captured four wickets and Kusal Mendis struck a masterful, unbeaten 74 as Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 6 wickets in their Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Group ‘B’ encounter played in Abu Dhabi.
Reporting from Abu Dhabi
After opting to bat first, Mohammad Nabi’s brilliant 22-ball 60 carried Afghanistan to a fighting score of 169 for 8. However, Kusal Mendis played a gem of an innings with 10 fours, ending unbeaten on 74 off 52 deliveries to finish the run chase with 8 balls to spare.
Afghanistan started their innings in great fashion, scoring 26 runs off the first two overs. However, Nuwan Thushara took the pace off and Kusal Perera held a fine catch to end Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s stay at the crease.
Thushara’s opening spell of three overs was brilliant, as he pitched it up and swung the ball late. He clean-bowled both Karim Janat and Sediqullah Atal to leave Afghanistan reeling at 40 for 3.
Sri Lanka continued to tighten the noose as two brilliant boundary-line catches—one by Kusal Perera and another by Dushmantha Chameera—sent Darwish Rasooli and Ibrahim Zadran back to the pavilion. Azmatullah Omarzai then chopped one onto his stumps off Dasun Shanaka, bringing Rashid Khan to the middle.
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At 79 for 6, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi put together a 35-run stand for the seventh wicket. The biggest turning point in that partnership came when Nabi, on 5, was dropped by Dunith Wellalage at deep square leg.
Thushara was brought back into the attack in the 18th over, and he immediately removed Rashid Khan for 24.
With the score at 120 for 7, Nabi launched a late assault. He struck 17 runs off Chameera’s final over—the penultimate of the innings.
Dunith Wellalage was handed the responsibility of bowling the last over, but Nabi tore into him, smashing six sixes from the first five deliveries. He scored 32 runs in the over, which is now the second-most expensive over bowled by Sri Lanka in T20Is, after Akila Dananjaya’s 36 against Kieron Pollard in Antigua in 2021.
Afghanistan’s 169 for 8 is the third-highest total by a full-member side after losing their first six wickets for under 80 in a Men’s T20I—behind Australia’s 178 all out against South Africa in Darwin last month and West Indies’ 170 for 8 against England at Bridgetown in 2022.
Chasing 170 runs for victory—and needing 101 to qualify for the Super Fours—Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka early, as Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed the in-form opener.
Kamil Mishara then chipped one straight to extra cover, where Mohammad Nabi completed the catch to claim Sri Lanka’s second wicket.
With little assistance on offer for Afghanistan’s four spinners, Sri Lanka executed the chase beautifully, knocking Afghanistan out of the tournament and ensuring Bangladesh’s qualification to the Super Four stage from Group ‘B’.
Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with composure, playing the ball late and batting responsibly. He first added 45 runs with Kusal Perera for the third wicket. Even after Perera’s dismissal, Mendis kept the scoreboard ticking.
Charith Asalanka looked in good touch during his brief stay of 17 off 12 balls, before departing. Kusal Mendis, however, found an able partner in Kamindu Mendis, who smashed 26 off just 13 deliveries. Together, the two Mendis’ added 52 runs to seal the win for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka will now face Bangladesh in their opening Super Fours clash on 20th September in Dubai, followed by matches against Pakistan on 23rd September in Abu Dhabi and India—the only other unbeaten side—on 26th September in Dubai.
Brief Scores;
Afghanistan – 169/8 in 20 overs: Ibrahim Zadran 24, Mohammad Nabi 60, Rashid Khan 24, Nuwan Thushara 4/18.
Sri Lanka – 171/4 in 18.4 overs: Kusal Mendis 74*, Kusal Perera 28, Kamindu Mendis 24*.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Kusal Perera b Nuwan Thushara | 14 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 175.00 |
| Sediqullah Atal | b Nuwan Thushara | 18 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 128.57 |
| Karim Janat | b Nuwan Thushara | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | c Dushmantha Chameera b Dunith Wellalage | 24 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 88.89 |
| Darwish Rasooli | c Kusal Perera b Dushmantha Chameera | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | b Dasun Shanaka | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Mohammad Nabi | not out | 60 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 272.73 |
| Rashid Khan | b Nuwan Thushara | 24 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 104.35 |
| Noor Ahmad | not out | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Extras | 7 (b 0 , lb 5 , nb 1, w 1, pen 0) |
| Total | 169/7 (20 Overs, RR: 8.45) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuwan Thushara | 4 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 4.50 | |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 | 12.50 | |
| Dunith Wellalage | 4 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 12.25 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 4 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4.50 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Mujeeb ur Rahman b Azmatullah Omarzai | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Kusal Mendis | not out | 74 | 52 | 10 | 0 | 142.31 |
| Kamil Mishara | c Ibrahim Zadran b Mohammad Nabi | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Kusal Perera | c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Mujeeb ur Rahman | 28 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Rashid Khan b Noor Ahmad | 17 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 141.67 |
| Kamindu Mendis | not out | 26 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 200.00 |
| Extras | 16 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 0, w 15, pen 0) |
| Total | 171/4 (18.4 Overs, RR: 9.16) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazal Haq Farooqi | 3 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 12.67 | |
| Mujeeb ur Rahman | 3.4 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 12.35 | |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5.00 | |
| Mohammad Nabi | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 6.67 | |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 | |
| Noor Ahmad | 3 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 12.33 | |
