Asia Cup, Super Four: Afghanistan hammer 175/6 against Sri Lanka
Afghanistan rode on the clinical knocks from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84) and Ibrahim Zadran (40) to compile 175/6 against Sri Lanka in Super Four match in Asia Cup. Hazratullah Zazai's sluggish inning slowed the tempo but Gurbaz upped the ante without breaking a sweat. Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga had an economical show (0/23), while left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka bagged the best figures (2/37). Here's more.
Afghanistan race to 49/1 in PP overs
The Afghans plundered seven runs off Maheesh Theekshana in the first over. Asitha Fernando was quick to pull the breaks, conceding only four runs. Gurbaz smashed two sixes to tally 15 runs, followed by two boundaries and a total of 14 runs in the next over. Afghanistan totaled nine runs in the next two overs at the expense of a clumsy-looking Zazai's wicket.
Gurbaz-Zadran power Afghanistan to 138/1 in middle-overs
Afghanistan managed 89 runs in 7-15 overs without losing a wicket Gurbaz raced to a 22-ball 50 and the Afghans eventually tallied 83/1 in 10 overs. SL bowled tight to concede six runs in the next two overs. Gurbaz-Ibrahim then smoked 16 and 21 runs in the 13th and 14th overs respectively before Hasaranga wound up with six runs in his final over.
Fifth T20I fifty for Gurbaz
Gurbaz took the Lankans by storm and denied them any wicket-taking opportunity in the middle-overs. He slammed a 45-ball 84 that comprised four fours and six sixes. It was his fifth half-century in the format. With that, the wicket-keeper batter raced to 811 T20I runs, striking at 138.39. Most notably, he fetched a 93-run stand with Ibrahim to rally Afghanistan past 150.
Lankan bowls curtail the scoring in death-overs
Asitha's slower one got the better of Gurbaz as Afghanistan managed seven runs. Theekshana stuck to good-length deliveries, conceding only five runs in the 17th over. Dilshan Madushanka trumped Ibrahim before being tonked for a four, six, a single, and a no-ball to concede 13. Afghanistan managed three runs at the expense of two wickets before plundering nine runs in the final over.
