Match Details

AFG vs SL 1st ODI, SL vs AFG 2023

AFG

269-446.5

Afghanistan won by 6 wickets 🏆

50.0268-10

Match info

Live

Scorecard

Player of the Match

Ibrahim Zadran

Afghanistan

98(98)

AFG - 2nd Innings

Session	Open	PASS
10 Over	56	45
15 Over	75	91
20 Over	118	120
25 Over	149	143
30 Over	171	171
35 Over	195	198
40 Over	226	229
45 Over	257	253

SL - 1st Innings

Session	Open	PASS
10 Over	52	44
20 Over	89	84
30 Over	140	137
35 Over	163	169
40 Over	209	196
50 Over	277	268

Commentary

So, Afghanistan have started the ODI series on a positive note at Hambantota. Both these sides will meet again on Sunday for the second fixture in the three-match series. Do join us there and stay tuned for more cricketing action around the world. For now, this is Megh Mandaliya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentators Ninaad Dixit and Hitesh Peddurwar alongside our scorer/analyst Dushyant Madhukar Kumar. Cheers!

Hashmatullah Shahidi(Afghanistan Captain): "Yeah, first of all very happy about the performance by the team, as you mentioned they were 4 down for 84 and then Asalanka and Dhananjaya played well. In the last overs, we dragged back the game and bowled pretty well. Yeah in the last overs, we had 5 fielders inside the circles due to the over rate, but the boys executed the plans very well. Yeah, Ibrahim Zadran is a match-winner for us he is improving day by day."

Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka Captain): "I think the plan was to play positive cricket coming into the encounter. But losing 4 wickets upfront didn't really help our cause. We were short on runs today. It was a good surface and anything above 300 runs would have been a good score. The injury of Lahiru Kumara took us back. Matheesha Pathirana came after playing the whole season of IPL. So, it's not easy playing a 50-over game straightaway. We need to keep changing the bowlers in order to prepare for the Qualifiers. The batting line-up will mostly be the same."

Ibrahim Zadran(Player of the match): "Yeah, it's pretty hard to get out like that, I wanted to finish the game, I wanted to make a hundred but it was hard luck. To be honest, our bowlers bowled very well they executed the plans and they didn't let Sri Lanka go over 300 runs. Then with the bat, I and Rahmat Shah executed the plan with the bat. Yeah, 280 was a good score but not that good, we wanted to stoop them near 250 but it didn't happen.

I was middling the ball pretty well and I told Rahmat Shah that I don't want to stop and want to hit the oddballs. I told him don't play the rash shots just take the singles."

Ibrahim Zadran is the Player of the Match.

18:23 IST| Time for the post-match presentation ceremony!!!

46.5 M Pathirana to N Zadran

1 There it is. A comprehensive victory for Afghanistan to start the three-match ODI series. Najibullah Zadran with the winning runs. Short of a length again outside off, Zadran hops and slashes that to the right of the sweeper cover for a single. Afghanistan have defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the series opener.

Scorers are level now... This will be Afghanistan's second-highest successful chase in ODI cricket.

46.4 M Pathirana to N Zadran

4 FOUR MORE! This time off the blade of Zadran. The scores are level now. Short of a length and outside off with the pace being taken off, Zadran hops and crunches that to deep covers region as the ball races away for a boundary.

46.3 M Pathirana to M Nabi

1 Yorker-length delivery outside off, Nabi bends low and carves that to the left of sweeper cover for a single. Just 5 required now.

Afghanistan are just one hit away from the victory. They need 6 runs off 22 balls.

46.2 M Pathirana to M Nabi

4 FOUR MORE! Nabi gets lucky on this occasion. Fuller delivery and on the fourth stump line with a hint of away movement, Nabi leans forward and looks to drive that away but gets a thickish outside edge that beats the keeper and runs to the deep third man region for a boundary.

46.1 M Pathirana to N Zadran

1 A low full toss just inside the offside tramline, Zadran bends low and squeezes that to extra covers for a quick single.

Successful over for Rajitha but it isn't enough to get SL back in the game. Afghanistan are just 11 runs away from victory. 4 overs are yet to be bowled. Matheesha Pathirana is back in the attack.

OVER 46

Afghanistan

258/4

Mohammad Nabi

22(26)

Najibullah Zadran

1(3)

Kasun Rajitha

2-49(10.0)

45.6 K Rajitha to M Nabi

4 FOUR! Short of a length delivery and outside off, Nabi accepts the width on offer, hops, and uppercuts that towards vacant deep backward point region as the ball races away for a boundary after a bounce. Afghanistan is just 11 runs away from a victory here.

Nabi is hit on the helmet. He nods at his partner and adjusts his grill. The physio is out in the middle for the concussion test. Nabi is fine and is ready to continue.

45.5 K Rajitha to M Nabi

0 Short of a length delivery on the top of middle stump line, Nabi was early on the pull and gets a hit on his helmet grille. A mandatory concussion test would be taken now.

45.4 K Rajitha to N Zadran

1 Good length delivery on the middle stump line, Zadran covers the line of the ball and dabs that to the right of backward point for a single to get off the mark.