Sri Lanka crash out of Asian Games Men T20I competition after losing to Afghanistan in quarter-final

Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by 8 runs in Asian Games Men T20I competition.

In third quarter-finals clash of Asian Games Men's T20I competition, Sri Lanka found themselves on the losing end against Afghanistan. The match went down to the wire as Afghanistan emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 8 runs, securing their spot in semi-finals. They now play Pakistan in second semi-finals of the tournament.

Asian Games Men's T20I competition consists of teams battling around whole of Asia. Sri Lanka, entered the quarter-finals with high expectations. On the other hand, Afghanistan, had their sights set on making a significant impact in the tournament.

Afghanistan enter the semi-finals

Afghanistan, batting first, faced a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack. Sediqullah Atal's early departure for just one run was a setback for Afghanistan, but they quickly recovered, thanks to valuable contributions from Mohammad Shahzad and Noor Ali Zadran. Shahidullah's quickfire 23 added to the total. Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Thushara and Arachchige, managed to pick up wickets at crucial junctures. Afghanistan posted a total of 116 in their allotted 20 overs.

In response, Sri Lanka started their innings with intent. But Afghanistan's bowlers, led by Gulbadin Naib and Qais Ahmad, struck at regular intervals. Sahan Arachchige, the captain of Sri Lankan side, fought hard with a resilient 22 runs, but the pressure kept mounting. In the end, Sri Lanka fell short of the target, managing to score only 108 runs, thus crashing out of the competition.

Afghanistan now play Pakistan in the second semi-finals on October 6th at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou.