Overview
- Sri Lanka chased 170 with 8 balls to spare as Kusal Mendis anchored the reply with an unbeaten 74 off 52 and the side finished 171 for 4.
- Seamer Nuwan Thushara took 4 for 18 to wreck Afghanistan’s top order before Mohammad Nabi’s 60 off 22 lifted them to 169 for 8.
- Nabi struck five sixes in the final over off Dunith Wellalage, adding 32 in the 20th, but Afghanistan were still eliminated with the six-wicket defeat.
- The victory confirmed Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as Group B’s qualifiers alongside Group A’s India and Pakistan, locking in the Super Four lineup.
- Super Four fixtures are set, with Sri Lanka facing Bangladesh on Saturday and India meeting Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai, as the handshake-referee dispute from the group game continues to simmer.