Al Amerat (Oman): Afghanistan A clinched the title of the Emerging Asia Cup on October 27 in Al Amerat. The team dished out an impressive bowling performance in a low-scoring final against Sri Lanka A. Earlier, the team secured a triumph over India A in the semi-final fixture. Bilal Sami and Allah Ghanzanifar starred in the final with their impressive spells.
Sri Lanka A won the toss and chose to bat first. However, the batting side were unable to handle the heat from the opposition bowlers and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Sahan Arachchige was the lone warrior in an innings which witnessed only three double-digit scores with a knock of unbeaten 64 runs. Sami (3/22) and Ghazanfar (2/14) bowled in tight areas to restrict the Lankan side to 133/7.
#AfghanAbdalyan lift the @ACCMedia1 Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 Trophy. 😍🏆pic.twitter.com/12NVHxQJ5L
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 27, 2024
Although Afghanistan A suffered an early blow, It was an easy chase for them as Sediqullah Atal played a knock of unbeaten 55 runs while Karim Janat played an innings of 33 runs from 27 deliveries. Sahan Arachchige, Dushan Hemantha and Eshan Malinga picked one wicket each.
The comfortable victory in the final showcased the depth of the cricketing talent available in the country. The victory reflects Afghanistan’s competitive edge in cricket with the rising talent in the country showing a lot of potential at the global stage.
India A existed from the tournament in the semi-final after suffering a shocking loss to Afghanistan A.
