In a thrilling Asia Cup Group B match at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, veteran Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi stole the show with a stunning death-overs blitz. The 39-year-old smashed an unbeaten 60 off just 22 balls, including six massive sixes, to lift Afghanistan to 169/8 against Sri Lanka on Thursday. This explosive knock gave the Afghans a fighting total in their must-win clash for a Super Fours spot.
Things looked grim for Afghanistan midway through. They were reeling at 120/7 after 18 overs, thanks to Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara’s fiery spell of 4/18. But Nabi, Afghanistan’s longest-serving player, flipped the script in the final two overs, blasting 46 runs. The highlight? The last over from Dunith Wellalage, where Nabi hammered five sixes—including one off a no-ball—for 32 runs. He got dropped once in the deep by Wellalage, a costly mistake that Sri Lanka will regret.
Nabi’s quickfire 35-run partnership with captain Rashid Khan (24) became the innings’ best stand. Earlier, Rashid sparked a mini-recovery by smashing two boundaries and a cheeky no-look six off Dasun Shanaka before Thushara bowled him.
Afghanistan started strong, racing to 26/0 in the first two overs. But Thushara struck back in the powerplay, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, and Sediqullah Atal to leave them at 45/3. The middle order struggled with poor strike rotation—no boundaries after the fourth over—and Sri Lanka’s sharp fielding didn’t help. Kusal Perera pulled off a relay catch to remove Darwish Rasooli, while Dushmantha Chameera leaped for a stunner to send back Azmatullah Omarzai.
Nabi ignited the chase for runs against Chameera, hitting three boundaries in one over—a cut behind point, a pull in front of square, and an edge to fine leg—for 17 runs. He finished the innings by launching three straight sixes, adding two more, before getting run out on the last ball.
This Mohammad Nabi masterclass has kept Afghanistan’s Asia Cup hopes alive. Their bowlers now have a defendable score against a strong Sri Lankan side. Brief scores: Afghanistan 169/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 60*, Rashid Khan 24; Nuwan Thushara 4/18, Dasun Shanaka 1/29) vs Sri Lanka.
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