Afghanistan Triumphs Over Sri Lanka in World Cup 2023

In a gripping encounter at the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, Afghanistan secured a remarkable victory over Sri Lanka, winning by 7 wickets with 28 balls to spare.

Chasing a target of 242 runs, Afghanistan faced an early setback as Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck in the very first over. However, Rahmat Shah (62), skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (58*), and Azmatullah Omarzai (73*) delivered outstanding performances, guiding their team to a well-deserved win.

Sri Lanka, batting first, posted a modest total of 241 all out against Afghanistan. Despite commendable efforts from openers Pathum Nissanka (46), Kusal Mendis (39), and Sadeera Samarawickrama (36), they struggled to capitalize, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Afghanistan’s bowlers put up a collective effort, with Fazalhaq Farooqi (4/34) emerging as the most successful. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/38), Azmatullah Omarzai (1/37), and Rashid Khan (1/50) also played crucial roles in securing wickets.

Notably, Sri Lanka’s opener Pathum Nissanka’s impressive streak of consecutive World Cup fifties came to an end as he scored 46 against Afghanistan.

Both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have slim chances of reaching the semi-finals, having earned 4 points each from their 5 matches. Sri Lanka currently holds the 5th position due to a better run rate, while Afghanistan is just below them in 6th place.

Afghanistan’s confidence is soaring after their convincing victory over neighbors Pakistan. Their spinners, pivotal to their success, continued to shine in the last game, while the batsmen chased down a target of 283 runs with 8 wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is riding high on confidence after a resounding win over the reigning world champions in their previous match. Their bowling attack, previously prone to leaking runs, held the English batsmen at bay, thanks largely to an exceptional performance from pacer Lahiru Kumara.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Head-to-Head Records

In their history of 11 ODIs against each other, Sri Lanka has won 7 matches, Afghanistan 3, and one match ended without a result. Their most recent encounter in September 2023 saw Sri Lanka narrowly defeating Afghanistan by 2 runs.

These teams have met twice in World Cups, with Sri Lanka winning both matches. In 2019, Sri Lanka won by 34 runs (DLS), and in 2015, Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets. It’s worth noting that both teams have evolved significantly over the past few years.

Squad Information:

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

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