Asia Cup 2023: Drama and controversy in Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka match, know details!

PC: The Times of India

A lot of talk and drama was seen in the match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup. Hashmatullah Shahidi's Afghan team was embroiled in controversy when he revealed his team's lack of awareness regarding Net Run Rate (NRR) scenarios. This lack of understanding would come back to haunt them, as they lost the match by just two runs and more importantly, they failed to chase down the target of 291 runs in 37.1 overs, leading to their exit from the tournament.

In the press conference after the match, head coach Jonathan Trott openly discussed the issue, which increased the curiosity among cricket lovers. Surprisingly, the Asian Cricket Council refrained from commenting on this matter. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) took the matter seriously and lodged a formal complaint with the governing body regarding the NRR calculation discrepancies.

Talking about the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. Batting at number three, the openers gave him an excellent start; Kusal Mendis scored 92 runs to help the team post a defendable score. At the end of the innings, Dunith Welles and Mahesh Deekshana contributed 33* and 28 runs respectively, strengthening the position of Lankan Lions.

With the ball too, the team led by Dasun Shanaka made a great start. He took three wickets in quick succession, but Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi saved Afghanistan's sinking ship. Both of them made a partnership of 80 runs, which completely changed the course of the game. However, after his dismissal, wickets kept falling on a regular basis and despite his incredible effort, he failed in the end.

In view of this intense match, Afghanistan cricketers will take a good break before preparing for the upcoming ODI World Cup starting on October 5. Before the tournament, they will take part in some friendly matches against South Africa.