Despite scoring more winners in the first set, Ankita, who is ranked 325th, could not convert her breakpoints and hit nine unforced errors compared to two from Tatjana Maria…reports Asian Lite News
India’s top women’s singles player Ankita Raina crashed out of the WTA Chennai Open tennis tournament, losing to fourth-seed Tatjana Maria of Germany in the women’s singles first round at the SDAT Stadium on Tuesday.
Maria, playing on the hard courts and hot and humid conditions of Chennai for the WTA 250 tennis tournament, got off to a superb start, breaking Ankita in the first game itself, and went on to win in straight sets, 0-6, 1-6 in one hour and 16 minutes.
Maria Tatjana, a semifinalist at Wimbledon 2022, broke Ankita in the first game and the German ranked 84th in the World, ran away with the first set, not allowing her Indian opponent to settle down.
Despite scoring more winners in the first set, Ankita, who is ranked 325th, could not convert her breakpoints and hit nine unforced errors compared to two from Tatjana Maria.
The trend continued in the second set as Ankita failed to convert some match points in the first game. The fifth game of the second set was the first that she won but that remained the only game she won as Maria dominated the one-sided match.
Top seed Alison Riske-Amritraj was stunned by Anastasia Gasanova in straight games, 6-2, 6-3 in a Round of 32 match while third-seed Magda Linette 6-4, 6-0.
Second seed Varvara Gracheva defeated Mariia Tkacheva 6-3, 6-2.
It was Hyderabad who then piled the pressure on for most of the game but against the run of play, Rajasthan were offered a way back when Akash Mishra handed an awkward high ball and the referee pointed to the spot…reports Asian Lite News
Indian Super League (ISL) winner Hyderabad FC put in a strong performance against I-League side Rajasthan United to claim a 3-1 win in the Durand Cup 2022 quarterfinals here at the Kishore Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Monday.
Bartholomew Ogbeche (6′), Akash Mishra (45′) and Javi Siverio (68′) found the back of the net for Manolo Marquez’s team while Martin Chaves (29′ pen) scored at the other end from a spot-kick in an entertaining 3-1 win for HFC.
This win knocks Rajasthan United out of the competition while Hyderabad are set to face Bengaluru FC in the second Semifinal in a few days.
Under the lights, even as it was pouring down, Bart Ogbeche took just six minutes to get himself on the scoresheet as he thumped in a header from the edge of the box to convert a Borja Herrera cross and take Hyderabad into an early lead.
It was Hyderabad who then piled the pressure on for most of the game but against the run of play, Rajasthan were offered a way back when Akash Mishra handed an awkward high ball and the referee pointed to the spot.
Laxmikant Kattimani was beaten but HFC did not take long to restore their lead. Akash Mishra popped up with a stunning goal, as he drove a long-range effort from the left into the far corner to bring it back to 2-1 before the break.
Javi Siverio effectively decided the tie after he converted from a Halicharan Narzary cross just after the hour mark. It was Narzary’s first touch after coming on as a sub while Siverio bagged what was his first goal of the current Durand Cup campaign.
The likes of Joel Chianese, Joao Victor, Sweden Fernandes, Nikhil Poojary and Lalchungnunga Chhangte all came close on a few occasions while Martin Chaves also hit the bar at the other end in an eventful second half.
But it was the determination of Odei Onaindia and Nim Dorjee Tamang, that rarely allowed the I-League side a clear shot at Kattimani’s goal for most of the game.
This win takes Hyderabad FC to their first ever Semifinal in the Durand Cup as they take on fellow ISL side Bengaluru FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on September 15.
The 24-year-old Indian followed up the break by winning the next service game without dropping a point and then sealing one of the biggest wins of her career under challenging conditions…reports Asian Lite News
India’s Karman Kaur Thandi advanced to the second round of the women’s singles event at the Chennai Open 2022 WTA 250 tennis tournament after a hard-fought win over Chloe Paquet of France, here on Monday.
Playing on the hard court of the SDAT Stadium, Karman, a wildcard entrant, beat the eighth-seed French player 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes.
The Indian tennis player, 359th in the WTA rankings, hit the ground running against world No 109 Chloe Paquet and found the break in the first game.
Thandi led Paquet 4-3 at the end of the seventh game. However, high humidity took its toll on the Indian tennis player as her unforced errors in the first set increased to 19. Paquet eventually took the lead in the match by winning the last three games.
The unforced errors kept flowing from Karman Kaur Thandi’s racket in the second set. The Indian, however, pulled off strong serves and crosscourt forehands to get back into the match.
Paquet pushed Thandi on the backfoot with a 2-0 lead upfront in the decider. The Indian mounted a comeback to level the game and then found her second break of the set to lead 4-3.
The 24-year-old Indian followed up the break by winning the next service game without dropping a point and then sealing one of the biggest wins of her career under challenging conditions.
This was also the first win for Karman Kaur against Chloe Paquet. The Indian had lost to the French player in straight sets in 2019. Thandi will take on 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the second round of the WTA 250 tournament.
India’s top women’s singles tennis player Ankita Raina will be in action on Tuesday. She will face fourth seed Tatjana Maria of Germany.
I feel that more Indian athletes should participate in international events (in order to qualify for the Olympics); they are doing well currently and are getting to participate in a lot of domestic events…says Neeraj Chopra
Ace Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra feels its high time Indian track and field athletes too start making their presence felt in numbers at major international competitions, adding that he at times feels lonely being the only athlete from the country competing in big events such as the Diamond League.
Chopra, the World Championships silver medallist, capped his superb season by winning the title at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday, becoming the first Indian to win the Diamond League Final Trophy. Chopra’s throw of 88.84 metres proved enough to seal the title.
Woman long jumper Anju Bobby George had won its precursor — the World Athletics Finals, as it was called then — in 2005. Anju initially won silver in that but her medal was upgraded to gold a few years later as the Russian winner of the event had a doping violation. So, Neeraj is the first Indian to win the Diamond League Trophy.
The champion thrower also requested the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to provide athletes with more chances to participate in international events and help them with foreign training stint. Excerpts:
Do you feel lonely being the only Indian competing in top competitions such as the Diamond League?
It is quite unusual that despite Indian athletes doing well in the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships, I was the only Indian competing in Zurich (Wanda Diamond League Final). I see other countries have a team of athletes competing in various disciplines and I want India too to send a big contingent for such events.
What do you think should be the road map for more Indians competing in major events such as the Olympics and the Asian Games?
I feel that more Indian athletes should participate in international events (in order to qualify for the Olympics); they are doing well currently and are getting to participate in a lot of domestic events. I would urge the AFI, SAI (Sports Authority of India), and (sports) ministry to encourage more Indians to participate in international competitions. We need more Indians to compete against top athletes in world-class competitions so that we can do better in events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
It feels good that other Indian athletes are also doing well, like at the CWG and our guys did well in the World Championships too, though they did not get into podium position. I will request the national federation to provide them with more chances to participate in international events and help them with foreign training stint. Facilities are improving in India; we will soon have indoor competition and training facilities. So, we should be able to reap the rewards at international events soon.
Where do you go from here after clinching gold in the Diamond League Final Trophy?
As per my schedule planned at the start of the year, this was my last event of the season. I would have participated in the Asian Games (in Hangzhou) around this time but that was postponed. So, my season ends with the Zurich event.
The dates for the National Games were announced recently (September 27-October 10 at six places in Gujarat). I have consulted my coach and he advised me to skip it to rest and prepare for a crucial season next year.
With the World Championships 2023 to be held from August 17 to August 27 in Budapest and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September, how are you going to prepare for an extremely busy season? Also, the qualification programme for Paris 2024 will also start next year and building good momentum in the run-up to the Olympics is always a good thing…
Rest and recreation are very important for an athlete, we can’t only think about competitions and medals. The body suffers a lot of wear and tear and fatigue during a season and proper rest during the off-season is very necessary. So, after a good off-season, I hope to return to competitions next year refreshed.
Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over…reports Asian Lite News
A collective impressive performance by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pramod Madushan led Sri Lanka to Asia Cup 2022 title with a clinical 23-win over Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.
This is Sri Lanka’s sixth Asia Cup title — 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.
An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to a fighting total of 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.
Chasing a challenging total, Pakistan were helped by some wayward bowling of Dilshan Madushanka, who gave 12 runs in the first over rife with wides and uncontrolled swing. However, Pakistan couldn’t take advantage of that momentum as Sri Lanka found a hero in Pramod Madushan, who dismissed Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman off consecutive deliveries and helped his team get on top.
Babar, who now does not have a fifty in six T20I games on the trot, first flicked one straight to short fine before Zaman chopped the ball onto his wicket. At 22/2 after 3.3 overs, Pakistan were in a spot of bother, but the in-form Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed batted cautiously to lead the recovery for their team.
Rizwan was picking crucial boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking. On the other hand, Iftikhar, who got a reprieve in between, was also giving the much-needed support as Pakistan were 68/2 after 10 overs.
Though Pakistan were keeping wickets in hand, the required rate was rising with every passing over. Iftikhar hit Hasaranga for a much-needed six and boundary to give impetus to the run-chase. He tried to do the same against Madushan but the ball only got the height not the distance, with the fielder at deep backward square got under it and held it safely, leaving Pakistan at 93-3 after 13.2 overs.
From there on, Pakistan needed to put the foot down on the accelerator but Sri Lanka bowled and fielded with excellence. They dried up the runs, increasing the pressure while upping the required run rate.
All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz couldn’t deliver the big hits, falling for 6 against Karunaratne. It was now up to Rizwan, who was the set batter to guide Pakistan home, as they needed 69 off 28 deliveries.
After bringing up his half-century, Rizwan was outfoxed by Hasaranga as Sri Lanka etched closer to victory with the required run rate almost touching the 16-run mark. Hasaranga then dismissed Asif Ali for a first-ball duck and followed it up with Khushdil Shah for 2.
Eventually, Karunaratne got the final scalp of Haris Rauf (13) as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs. Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.
Earlier, put into bat first, Sri Lanka were off to a terrible start, losing three wickets inside the power play against the quality pace bowling. In the very first over, pacer Naseem Shah clean bowled Mendis, who was late to bring his bat down on a quality length ball. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva then hit a few boundaries to show some fight back.
However, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam brought Haris Rauf into the attack and he put Sri Lanka back in trouble by taking the wickets of Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka.
On a quick delivery at 146 kph, Nissanka played a lofted shot but the ball went only to mid-off, where Babar Azam took a good catch running back. The pacer then dismantled the stumps of Gunathilaka, to leave Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 36/3 after 5.1 overs.
Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over.
And in the next over, Shadab Khan breached the defence of Sri Lanka spinner Dasun Shanaka, who went for a wild slog but couldn’t connect. With 58/5 in 8.5 overs, Sri Lanka were in danger of getting bowled but Rajapaksa and Hasaranga showed fighting spirit and did counter-attack.
Both Rajapaksa and Hasaranga looked in control against spinners and hit three boundaries off Shadab Khan. Hasaranga then slammed one boundary and a huge six over backward point to give impetus to the Sri Lankan innings.
From who else but Hasaranga — 36 off 21. He was aggressive against Shadab, Hasnain and now Rauf again, hitting the pacer for two fours before he edged one to the keeper. What this wicket has done though is brought the match alive. Up until the ninth over, it was all Pakistan.
Hasaranga continued his aggressive approach and welcomed Haris Rauf with two boundaries before the pacer dismissed the batter to break a crucial 58-run stand for the sixth wicket, which brought the match alive. After the wicket of Hasaranga, Rajapaksa had the responsibility of batting till the last over and he did that with perfection. He hit boundaries and sixes to complete his half-century in 35 balls.
The left-hander also got able support from Chamika Karunaratne, which was required for a strong finish for Sri Lanka. Both Rajapaksa and Karunaratne remained not out, added 54 runs off only 31 balls and took Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket takers.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan 147 all out in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs
The biennial youth tournament, scheduled to be held between October 11 to 30, will see the best young female footballers across the world showcasing their talents in India…reports Asian Lite News
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong is hosting a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 202 legacy initiative, the Coaches Education Scholarship Programme where 23 aspiring coaches — all females — are undertaking an E-License grassroots course to become officially certified football coaches.
This, eleventh edition of the programme, being conducted between September 4 to 7, will train participants, in both, the theoretical and the practical aspects of the game while also equipping the participating women with leadership qualities.
“Meghalaya has witnessed a boom in football among girls and women through the efforts of the Meghalaya Football Association and affiliated The district associations with the assistance of the AIFF, AFC and FIFA and we are grateful that Meghalaya has been chosen as a venue for the E-Licence course as part of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 legacy programme. We believe it will greatly aid us in our efforts to create a sustainable football infrastructure for boys and girls, men and women,” said Larsing Sawyan, President of the Meghalaya Football Association.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, project directors of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Nandini Arora and Ankush Arora said, “It is our vision that the lasting legacy of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 be the accelerated growth and development of women’s football. With an increase in the number of female coaches across the nation, equal participation at the grassroots can be achieved. This course, conducted in one of India’s leading football-loving regions, represents a major step in the direction of comprehensive progress of women’s football in India.”
The biennial youth tournament, scheduled to be held between October 11 to 30, will see the best young female footballers across the world showcasing their talents in India.
Pegula, who had reached the quarterfinals both at the Australian Open and at Roland Garros, lost in the third round at Wimbledon…reports Asian Lite News
No. 8 seed American Jessica Pegula won six games in a row in the second set to beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets and storm into the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Monday.
Down 0-2 in the second set after winning the first easily. Pegula stormed back to take control of the match and won six games in a row in their fourth-round clash halted once by rain on Monday.
The 28-year-old American won the match 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 13 minutes to make the quarterfinals for the first time in the US Open.
Pegula capitalised on her solid returns — 27/44 points won on return (61 percent) as compared to Kvitova who claimed 22/53 points (42 percent). She also made fewer unforced errors — 13 as against 24 by Kvitova and won six of the seven break points that ame her way whereas Kvitova could manage to win only two of the six chances she bagged. Though Kvitova had 18 winners as against seven by her American opponent, the 32-year-old from Czech Republic served five double faults to none by Pegula.
Pegula, who had reached the quarterfinals both at the Australian Open and at Roland Garros, lost in the third round at Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia had advanced to their first US Open quarterfinals on Sunday.
Post power-play, India kept things tight by keeping Fakhar Zaman under check. They were rewarded when an under-pressure Zaman holed out straight to long-on off Yuzvendra Chahal…reports Asian Lite News
For the second time in a week, an India-Pakistan match went down the wire. For the second time in Asia Cup 2022, the outcome of an India-Pakistan match was decided in the final over.
But this time, Pakistan were on the winning side, defeating India by five wickets, with a ball to spare in the second Super Four stage match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. In a match, where fortunes swung wildly, left-arm spin all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz played a decisive role.
With his four overs, Nawaz conceded just 25 runs and took out Suryakumar Yadav in a tight spell which applied brakes on India’s innings after Rohit Sharma and K.L Rahul came out all guns blazing in a 54-run opening stand.
Reverting back to their aggressive attacking approach, Virat Kohli top-scored with 60 off 44 balls, hitting four fours and a six, while running hard between the wickets and was superb against pacers in an innings even as others hit boundaries and fell in a bid to go big.
Chasing a competitive 181/7, Mohammad Rizwan anchored the chase with a 51-ball 71. But the game turner was Nawaz’s promotion to four, striking 42 off 20 balls, including six fours and two sixes, giving a much-needed impetus to Pakistan’s chase.
With 26 runs needed from the last two overs, Khushdil Shah and Asif Ali took 19 runs off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 19th over. Arshdeep Singh, who dropped Ali for duck an over earlier, got the equation to two runs off two balls. But Iftikhar Ahmed sealed the match in Pakistan’s favour with a ball to spare.
Sharma and Rahul gave India a rollicking start by hitting eight boundaries to get the team fifty in 4.2 overs. Haris Rauf broke the opening stand in the final over of the powerplay, as Sharma mishit a slower ball to point.
India’s second wicket fell on the very first ball post-powerplay as Rahul holed out to long-on off Shadab. Kohli began by getting two fours to continue India’s high-risk approach. But he ran out of partners from the other end as Nawaz struck in the tenth over, having Suryakumar Yadav slog-sweeping straight to backward square leg.
With Nawaz keeping things tight, Kohli took to taking fours off Shah and Hasnain through pulls and drives. But Rishabh Pant, after hitting two fours, reverse-swept straight to backward point off leggie Shadab Khan. In the next over, Hardik Pandya punched a cross-seam ball from Mohammad Hasnain straight to a forward diving short mid-wicket to depart for a two-ball duck.
Deepak Hooda’s first four was driven firmly through the gap between mid-off and extra cover off Rauf. He then arched back to ramp a bouncer from Hasnain over the keeper’s head. Kohli got his fifty in 36 balls with some style, whipping Hasnain over deep mid-wicket for six.
The last two overs didn’t bring a glorious finish for India as Hooda skied high to long-on off Shah while Kohli fell inches short of his crease while trying to complete the second run. But misfields in the deep on the last two balls gave India back-to-back fours, taking the total above 180.
In defence of 181, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi struck in his first over as Babar Azam chipped straight to mid-wicket. Rizwan didn’t let the tempo down, taking two fours off Pandya’s first over and then whipping Arshdeep superbly off his wrists over a backward square leg.
Post power-play, India kept things tight by keeping Fakhar Zaman under check. They were rewarded when an under-pressure Zaman holed out straight to long-on off Yuzvendra Chahal.
Nawaz, promoted to four, began by cutting Chahal past short third man for four. He then clobbered Pandya over long-on for a much-needed six. While Rizwan slog-swept Chahal for six over mid-wicket, Nawaz also nailed the same shot off Bishnoi.
Rizwan, who was once at 13 off 14, got his fifty in 37 balls while Nawaz hammered Arshdeep down the ground and slammed fours off Pandya throu’h cover and over the keeper’s head to keep Pakistan in the match.
Nawaz then capitalised on Chahal’s loose deliveries by placing fours through leg-side, before Rizwan cut through backward point to pick the third four in a 16-run 15th over. Bhuvneshwar broke the 73-run stand in the 16th over by having the dangerous Nawaz give a comfortable catch to long-off on an off-cutter. Pandya’s strategy to bowl outside off worked when Rizwan lofted a slower ball straight to long-off.
Ali survived a tight caught behind call off Bishnoi in the 18th over and got a reprieve on the very next ball as Arshdeep dropped a sitter at short third man. With the equation at 26 off 12 balls, Ali, Shah and Ahmed managed to complete a terrific chase for Pakistan.
Nadal won the first nine games of the two hour, 17-minute clash before Gasquet got his side of the scoreboard ticking, thanks to a Nadal return error…reports Asian Lite News
Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 23rd singles Grand Slam title, cruised into the US Open fourth round with a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 victory against world No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday (IST).
The 37-year-old Nadal, who was tested in his second-round clash by Italy’s Fabio Fognini, faced no such issues against Gasquet as the Spaniard won his 18th consecutive match against the Frenchman.
“My best match in the tournament… Easy to say that because the other day was tough. But, yeah, important improvement. But I need to keep going. It’s a good victory for me. Straight sets for the first time. Third set (was) a challenge. He increased the level,” Nadal, bidding for his fifth US Open trophy, was quoted as saying by atptour.com.
“I went through some difficult moments. That’s something that is good, that I went through that and (was) safe (in those) moments with positive feelings. Happy to be in the fourth round, without a doubt.”
Nadal won the first nine games of the two hour, 17-minute clash before Gasquet got his side of the scoreboard ticking, thanks to a Nadal return error.
Gasquet holds the record for most losses against Nadal without a win (18). Second on the list is another Frenchman, Paul-Henri Mathieu, who lost all 10 of his clashes against the left-handed Nadal.
Nadal will next play American Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe overcame Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4.
“I thought it was a hell of a match. Especially that first set, one of the craziest sets I’ve played in my career,” Tiafoe said. “It had everything in it. Down two breaks, serving again at 6-5, me down 6/3 in the breaker. Unbelievable how I even won the set.”
Nadal leads the ATP head-to-head record against Tiafoe 2-0.
“Second week against a great player like Frances, I need to be ready to play and to raise my level,” Nadal said. “I hope to be able to make that happen. I know it’s the right moment to make an improvement if I want to keep having chances to keep going on the tournament.”
Both Gurbaz and Zadran put on a stand of 93 runs for the second wicket. When Gurbaz got out in the 16th over, Afghanistan were 139-2 and looked set for a strong finish…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka produced a commanding performance to beat Afghanistan by four wickets in a Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2022 at the Sharjah International Stadium, here on Saturday.
An excellent attacking knock by Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84 off 45) powered Afghanistan to a challenging 175/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran also played an impactful knock (40 off 38) for Afghanistan, who would have hoped for a blistering finish but they lost wickets in a cluster in the last few overs.
Chasing a challenging total, Kusal Mendis (36 off 19), Pathum Nissanka (35 off 28), Danushka Gunathilaka (33 off 20) Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 14) and Wanindu Hasaranga made vital contributions with the bat and led Sri Lanka to a memorable win.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Sri Lankan batters didn’t allow the required run rate to rise high and eventually chased the target in 19.1 overs with four wickets in hand. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/30), Naveen-ul-Haq (2/40), Mohammad Nabi (1/34), and Rashid Khan (1/39), were the wicket-takers for Afghanistan.
Earlier, put into bat first, Afghanistan were off to a good start, scoring 49/1 in the powerplay.
While Gurbaz was in an attacking mode and did the bulk of the scoring, Hazratullah Zazai was not able to not find any fluency right through his innings. Eventually, Zazai played across to a length delivery and was clean bowled for 13 off 16 in the 5th over.
Even after the powerplay, Gurbaz continued his attacking intent and completed his fifty in 22 balls. He got support in Zadran and they kept the scoreboard ticking for Afghanistan.
Both Gurbaz and Zadran put on a stand of 93 runs for the second wicket. When Gurbaz got out in the 16th over, Afghanistan were 139-2 and looked set for a strong finish.
However, they lost the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (1), and Najibullah Zadran (17) in the 17th and 18th overs respectively. Rashid Khan (9) managed to hit a six in the last over and took Afghanistan to 175-6, which was not enough in the end.
Dilshan Madushanka (2/37), Maheesh Theekshana (1/29), and Asitha Fernando (1/34) were the wicket takers for Sri Lanka.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 175/6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 84, Ibrahim Zadran 40, Dilshan Madushanka 2/37) lost to Sri Lanka 179/6 in 19.1 overs (Kusal Mendis 36, Pathum Nissanka 35; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/30) by 4 wickets.
