Afghanistan Emerging Teams Asia Cup champs

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan-A have clinched the ACC Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup title, triumphing over Sri Lanka-A at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground.

Sri Lanka skipper Nuwanidu Fernando won the toss and elected to bat. Sahan Arachchige hit a half century to help his side set a 134 runs target for Afghanistan.

The Times of India reported that Arachchige top-scored for Sri Lanka with 64 off 47 balls, including six sixes.

Nimesh Vimukthi and Pawan Rathnayake contributed 23 and 20 runs respectively to the Sri Lankan total.

For Afghanistan, Bilal Sami grabbed three wickets, while Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar chipped in with two scalps.

Afghanistan were off to a shocking start as opener Zubaid Akbari was dismissed on the first ball of the innings.

However, Sediqullah Atal, who scored 55 runs from 55 balls, and Darwish Rasooli, who hit 24 runs, built a crucial partnership.

Karim Janat scored 33 runs off 27 and Mohammad Ishaq added 16 runs off six balls to consolidate Afghanistan’s position.

The national squad chased down the target in the 19th over of the game, with seven wickets in hand and won the ACC Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup title for the first time.

Opener Sediqullah Atal was declared the highest scorer of the tournament with 368 runs in five innings.

Ghazanfar, whose spell decimated Sri Lanka’s top order, was awarded player of the match, and Sri Lanka’s Dushan Hemantha concluded the tournament as leading wicket-takers with 15 wickets in five games.
kk/mud