<p>Sri Lanka got the better of Afghanistan in a narrow win as they topped Group B of the Asia Cup 2023. The two-run win against Afghanistan in Lahore on Tuesday (September 5) also saw Bangladesh officially book their place in the Super Four as they join India and Pakistan from Group A.</p>

<p>Needing three runs to win from 13 overs with two wickets in hand, Afghanistan were unable to capitalise and lost the contest that paved their exit from the Asia Cup.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sri Lanka clinches a thrilling victory by just 2 runs and secures the spot in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2023</a> super four round!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LankanLions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LankanLions</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLvAFG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvAFG</a> <a href="https://t.co/E223jJZSlG">pic.twitter.com/E223jJZSlG</a></p>
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialSLC/status/1699106787977486415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Sri Lanka edge out Afghanistan</strong></h2>

<p>Needing to win the contest by a big margin, Afghanistan started their 292-run chase on a sloppy note as they lost early wickets.</p>

<p>Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side were 50/3 as the Sri Lanka bowlers were in top form at the start. Shahidi’s 59-run knock and Mohammad Nabi’s 65 runs helped them stay in the contest while maintaining a good run rate. The likes of Gulbadin Naib (22), Rahmat Shah (45) and others played valuable knocks to keep Afghanistan in the contest before they lost way in the chase.</p>

<p>Earlier, Kusal Mendis' fighting 92 and a late partnership of 64 runs by Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana helped Sri Lanka post a fine total of 291/8 against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup 2023 match here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Mendis scored the highest for Sri Lanka with 92 runs off 84 while Pathum Nissanka played a knock of 41 runs. For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib was the wrecker-in-chief as he bagged four wickets while star spinner Rashid Khan scalped two wickets.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-hambantota-might-replace-colombo-as-venue-for-super-four-games-amid-rain-threat-632452">Asia Cup: Hambantota might replace Colombo as venue for Super Four games amid rain threat</a></p>

<h2><strong>Super Four equations</strong></h2>

<p>The win for Sri Lanka also concluded the group stage of the Asia Cup with teams now moving their attentions to the Super Four stage kick starts with Pakistan vs Bangladesh on Wednesday (September 6) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.</p>

<p>India’s first Super Four contest will be against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Rohit Sharma’s men will then take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday before facing Bangladesh on Friday (September 15) at the same venue.</p>

<p>Two teams topping the Super Four stage will qualify for the final of the Asia Cup 2023 which will be contested at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, September 17.</p>

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Sri Lanka got the better of Afghanistan in a narrow win as they topped Group B of the Asia Cup 2023. The two-run win against Afghanistan in Lahore on Tuesday (September 5) also saw Bangladesh officially book their place in the Super Four as they join India and Pakistan from Group A.

Sri Lanka got the better of Afghanistan in a narrow win as they topped Group B of the Asia Cup 2023. The two-run win against Afghanistan in Lahore on Tuesday (September 5) also saw Bangladesh officially book their place in the Super Four as they join India and Pakistan from Group A. Needing three runs to win from 13 overs with two wickets in hand, Afghanistan were unable to capitalise and lost the contest that paved their exit from the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka clinches a thrilling victory by just 2 runs and secures the spot in the #AsiaCup2023 super four round!#LankanLions #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/E223jJZSlG — Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) September 5, 2023 × Sri Lanka edge out Afghanistan Needing to win the contest by a big margin, Afghanistan started their 292-run chase on a sloppy note as they lost early wickets. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side were 50/3 as the Sri Lanka bowlers were in top form at the start. Shahidi’s 59-run knock and Mohammad Nabi’s 65 runs helped them stay in the contest while maintaining a good run rate. The likes of Gulbadin Naib (22), Rahmat Shah (45) and others played valuable knocks to keep Afghanistan in the contest before they lost way in the chase. Earlier, Kusal Mendis' fighting 92 and a late partnership of 64 runs by Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana helped Sri Lanka post a fine total of 291/8 against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup 2023 match here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday. Mendis scored the highest for Sri Lanka with 92 runs off 84 while Pathum Nissanka played a knock of 41 runs. For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib was the wrecker-in-chief as he bagged four wickets while star spinner Rashid Khan scalped two wickets. ALSO READ | Asia Cup: Hambantota might replace Colombo as venue for Super Four games amid rain threat Super Four equations The win for Sri Lanka also concluded the group stage of the Asia Cup with teams now moving their attentions to the Super Four stage kick starts with Pakistan vs Bangladesh on Wednesday (September 6) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. India’s first Super Four contest will be against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Rohit Sharma’s men will then take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday before facing Bangladesh on Friday (September 15) at the same venue. Two teams topping the Super Four stage will qualify for the final of the Asia Cup 2023 which will be contested at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, September 17. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in narrow contest in Lahore; Ban officially clinch Super Four spot

<p>Quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera stormed back into the Sri Lankan team to power their 132-run win over Afghanistan at Hambantota on Sunday and square the three-match one-day international series. Having amassed a target of 324, the Sri Lankan bowlers skittled out the tourists for 191 inside 43 overs for their biggest win in ODIs over Afghanistan.</p>

<p>Chameera, returning to the side after a seven-month layoff after ankle surgery, bowled a couple of hostile spells to finish with two for 18.</p>

<p>Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the return of their main strike bowler, as they head to Zimbabwe straight after the series to play World Cup qualifiers.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virender-sehwag-calls-ex-pakistan-captain-inzamam-ul-haq-best-middle-order-batter-from-asia-600429">Virender Sehwag calls ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq 'best middle-order batter from Asia'</a></p>

<p>"We are very happy that Chameera is back: injury kept him out for a while but I am glad he is firing on all cylinders," skipper Dasun Shanaka said. "Dimuth Karunaratne is back as well, and he adds more stability to the batting -- and obviously he's very experienced. These are good signs looking forward for the World Cup qualifiers."</p>

<p>There are no such problems for Afghanistan, who have already qualified for the World Cup later this year in India.</p>

<p>Chameera was well backed up by part-time off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva, who finished with three wickets, including first-match hero Ibrahim Zardan. Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga polished up the tail claiming three for 42.</p>

<p>Zardan, who had top scored in the first ODI with 98, was again amongst the runs with 54. But the scoreboard pressure got to him as he edged an attempted cut shot that was well taken by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps.</p>

<h2>- 'Bounce back' -</h2>

<p>Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi top scored with 57 runs, before being trapped leg before by de Silva. After that, there was little resistance by the Afghan batters as they lost six wickets for 23 runs.</p>

<p>"I don’t think that was our best performance, we were bit sloppy on the field," Shahidi said after the match. "We have got one more game, and we will try and bounce back".</p>

<p>Sri Lanka came into the game making four changes, having lost the first ODI by six wickets on Friday. Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka added 82 runs for the first wicket, with Karunaratne on a comeback trial doing well to post 52 off 62 balls.</p>

<p>Kusal Mendis then upped the tempo with a superb counter-attack, smashing 78 off 75 balls with seven fours and one six. The third-wicket stand between Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who was playing his first ODI in more than three years, gave the innings much-needed impetus. The pair added 88 runs in 86 balls.</p>

<p>Sri Lanka's lower middle order was the driving force behind their total of 323, with the hosts scoring 109 runs in the last ten overs.</p>

<p>Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi were the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan finishing with two wickets apiece.</p>

<p>The third and final ODI will take place on June 7 also at Hambantota.</p>

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Quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera stormed back into the Sri Lankan team to power their 132-run win over Afghanistan at Hambantota on Sunday and square the three-match one-day international series.

Quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera stormed back into the Sri Lankan team to power their 132-run win over Afghanistan at Hambantota on Sunday and square the three-match one-day international series. Having amassed a target of 324, the Sri Lankan bowlers skittled out the tourists for 191 inside 43 overs for their biggest win in ODIs over Afghanistan. Chameera, returning to the side after a seven-month layoff after ankle surgery, bowled a couple of hostile spells to finish with two for 18. Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the return of their main strike bowler, as they head to Zimbabwe straight after the series to play World Cup qualifiers. ALSO READ: Virender Sehwag calls ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq 'best middle-order batter from Asia' "We are very happy that Chameera is back: injury kept him out for a while but I am glad he is firing on all cylinders," skipper Dasun Shanaka said. "Dimuth Karunaratne is back as well, and he adds more stability to the batting -- and obviously he's very experienced. These are good signs looking forward for the World Cup qualifiers." There are no such problems for Afghanistan, who have already qualified for the World Cup later this year in India. Chameera was well backed up by part-time off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva, who finished with three wickets, including first-match hero Ibrahim Zardan. Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga polished up the tail claiming three for 42. Zardan, who had top scored in the first ODI with 98, was again amongst the runs with 54. But the scoreboard pressure got to him as he edged an attempted cut shot that was well taken by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. - 'Bounce back' - Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi top scored with 57 runs, before being trapped leg before by de Silva. After that, there was little resistance by the Afghan batters as they lost six wickets for 23 runs. "I don’t think that was our best performance, we were bit sloppy on the field," Shahidi said after the match. "We have got one more game, and we will try and bounce back". Sri Lanka came into the game making four changes, having lost the first ODI by six wickets on Friday. Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka added 82 runs for the first wicket, with Karunaratne on a comeback trial doing well to post 52 off 62 balls. Kusal Mendis then upped the tempo with a superb counter-attack, smashing 78 off 75 balls with seven fours and one six. The third-wicket stand between Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who was playing his first ODI in more than three years, gave the innings much-needed impetus. The pair added 88 runs in 86 balls. Sri Lanka's lower middle order was the driving force behind their total of 323, with the hosts scoring 109 runs in the last ten overs. Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi were the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan finishing with two wickets apiece. The third and final ODI will take place on June 7 also at Hambantota. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

SL vs AFG, 2nd ODI: Chameera's return power Sri Lanka to 132-run win over Afghanistan, series leveled 1-1

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidpSyEykClIHzz" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced star spinner Rashid Khan would miss the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka due to a lower-back injury but is likely to return for the final One-Dayer of the three-match series, starting 2nd June in Hambantota. The board said, "He will remain under full medical observation, and is expected to return for the final ODI on June 7."</p>

<p>Rashid’s absence means Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad will shoulder the responsibility among them as Afghanistan gear up for the 50-over World Cup later this year. With them being one of the eight teams to have directly qualified for the mega event and Sri Lanka set to play the qualifiers to get through, this is Afghanistan’s bright chance to prepare for the 10-team tournament.</p>

<p>Last month, ACB announced the 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. After this series, Afghanistan will travel to Bangladesh for the one-off Test, while Sri Lanka will head to Zimbabwe to participate in the qualifiers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-gavaskar-underlines-pujaras-importance-in-english-conditions-says-he-will-have-kept-an-eye-on-598896">WTC Final: Gavaskar underlines Pujara's importance in English conditions, says 'he would have kept an eye on'</a></p>

<p>Talking about Rashid Khan, the number one-ranked&nbsp;T20I bowler was instrumental in helping his IPL franchise – Gujarat Titans, reach the second successive final by picking up 27 wickets – second-most by any bowler this season. His compatriot, Noor Ahmad, also shined for the newcomers as he bagged 16 wickets from 13 matches at an economy of 7.82.</p>

<p>Although Gujarat lost the finals to Chennai Super Kings by five wickets, Noor returned with two wickets to his name in the finale, while Rashid went wicketless, conceding 44 runs from three overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A mainstream player with both bat and ball, Rashid’s best outing was against Mumbai Indians in an away group clash, where he first picked up four wickets and then scored a brilliant 32-ball 79.</p>

<p>Given his exploits in the white-ball formats, Rashid’s absence will make a huge difference to Afghanistan’s side in the first two ODIs.</p>

<h2>Schedule and squads of both teams –</h2>

<ul>
	<li>1st ODI – June 2nd, Hambantota</li>
	<li>2nd ODI, June 24th, Hambantota</li>
	<li>3rd ODI – June 7th, Hambantota</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Afghanistan Squad -</strong>&nbsp;Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik</p>

<p>Reserves: Gulbadin Naib, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rahman Akbar</p>

<p><strong>Sri Lankan Squad -</strong>&nbsp;Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (WK), Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced star spinner Rashid Khan would miss the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka due to a lower-back injury but is likely to return for the final One-Dayer of the three-match series, starting 2nd June in Hambantota.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced star spinner Rashid Khan would miss the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka due to a lower-back injury but is likely to return for the final One-Dayer of the three-match series, starting 2nd June in Hambantota. The board said, "He will remain under full medical observation, and is expected to return for the final ODI on June 7." Rashid’s absence means Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad will shoulder the responsibility among them as Afghanistan gear up for the 50-over World Cup later this year. With them being one of the eight teams to have directly qualified for the mega event and Sri Lanka set to play the qualifiers to get through, this is Afghanistan’s bright chance to prepare for the 10-team tournament. Last month, ACB announced the 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. After this series, Afghanistan will travel to Bangladesh for the one-off Test, while Sri Lanka will head to Zimbabwe to participate in the qualifiers. ALSO READ: WTC Final: Gavaskar underlines Pujara's importance in English conditions, says 'he would have kept an eye on' Talking about Rashid Khan, the number one-ranked T20I bowler was instrumental in helping his IPL franchise – Gujarat Titans, reach the second successive final by picking up 27 wickets – second-most by any bowler this season. His compatriot, Noor Ahmad, also shined for the newcomers as he bagged 16 wickets from 13 matches at an economy of 7.82. Although Gujarat lost the finals to Chennai Super Kings by five wickets, Noor returned with two wickets to his name in the finale, while Rashid went wicketless, conceding 44 runs from three overs. A mainstream player with both bat and ball, Rashid’s best outing was against Mumbai Indians in an away group clash, where he first picked up four wickets and then scored a brilliant 32-ball 79. Given his exploits in the white-ball formats, Rashid’s absence will make a huge difference to Afghanistan’s side in the first two ODIs. Schedule and squads of both teams – 1st ODI – June 2nd, Hambantota 2nd ODI, June 24th, Hambantota 3rd ODI – June 7th, Hambantota Afghanistan Squad - Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik Reserves: Gulbadin Naib, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rahman Akbar Sri Lankan Squad - Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (WK), Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Injured Rashid Khan to miss first two ODIs against Sri Lanka, likely to return for final One-Dayer: ACB