Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Highlights, Asia Cup 2025: SL eliminate AFG, seal qualification for themselves and BAN

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Sri Lanka being just a touch careful. Rashid Khan from one end, Noor Ahmad from the other – this will be the phase of play on which the match hinges. Wickets here and it will become dangerous, but Sri Lanka have a pair of batters who are very good against spin.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Soft wicket, but might be a blessing in disguise for Sri Lanka. Mishara was getting stuck. Nabi draws the drive, and Mishara chips it to cover. Cheap wicket.

53/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: After a couple of quiet overs, that's what they needed. 5 wides down leg helps out, but a nice swivel pull for four from Mendis does too. He's looked in decent touch early here, but Mishara up the other end needs to get a move on.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Key moment! Nissanka gets an easy delivery to put away on his hips with short fine inside the ring. A couple of feet to either side of the man and it's four more – instead, it's right into his hands! Azmat gets the wicket, Nissanka out on 6, and Sri Lanka will be feeling the heat early in this chase.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Good cricket from the openers! Not forcing the issue, just putting away the balls. Mujeeb's first over goes for 13. Preserving wickets the key here.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: That's the permutations the Tigers are watching on from home. For them, worst case is if Sri Lanka cross 101 but manage to lose: in that case, both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan qualify. Which team will do them a favour?

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Welcome back. Nabi's spectacle right at the death means what was once looking like a formality for Sri Lanka is suddenly a big, tough challenge. They need a good start to settle their nerves. The form man Nissanka takes strike, Kusal Mendis across from him. Farooqi with the new ball and his left-arm angle.

First ball… thick edge, but flies over short third for four!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Incredible stuff from Nabi! Makes Asalanka regret the gamble of bowling out his strike bowlers early. Takes five sixes and 32 runs off the last over. That's an innings to be proud of.

49 off the last 2 overs and Afghanistan are defending 170 – Sri Lanka have fumbled this, and all the pressure on them, all the momentum with Afghanistan!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Excellent hitting! Giving a spinner an over in the death is always risky. First clean as you like over long off, then Nabi clears his front leg, hits it miles into the air, but enough to clear midwicket. Next ball, again, right down the ground as Wellalage goes over the wicket.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: They need Nabi to give them the end he has been for years. Chameera all but nails three consecutive yorkers. The first is squeezed to fine third with great skill, the second swung away to the square leg gap, the third is a touch fortunate as an inside edge rockets past short fine.

Not bad bowling, but great batting.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: He's been truly unplayable today! It's a dipping slower ball yorker, and he still has movement this late on. It curves and dips, Rashid's attempted paddle goes all wrong, and it trickles onto the stumps to knock him over! Likely LBW anyway, but now it's 114/7 with 2.5 to play.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Even with no wickets, Hasaranga has been a class apart. Batters have struggled to pick him all tournament, and his lines and lengths have been terrific. Challenging both edges and not letting anything get away. Frugal.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Just the counter-attack that Afghanistan needed and it's captain Rashid who is providing it! A couple of boundaries and a typical no-look six of his legs. Something of a move-on, trying to put pressure back on Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Oh what a grab that is! Hit over Chameera's head at wide long on, but he does well to keep his eyes on it, stretch up, and make it stick. Ibrahim was set but now he has to depart, but that is yet another incredible grab. Sri Lanka's fielding setting them apart!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Ibrahim finds the six, but it was almost another wicket! Top edge-ish, but enough of a connection to take it over deep fine leg for six.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Bad to worse for Afghanistan. Azmat tries to hoick it away off Shanaka, but just a touch of extra bounce means he drags it onto his stumps.

71/5 now.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Oh, lucky for Azmatullah! First ball comes in, he edges it, and somehow squeezes it right between wicketkeeper and first slip. Mendis gets a hand to it but can't hold onto it, and it runs away for four.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Great catch on the boundary! It's a nicely connected upper cut, but can't clear deep third: Kusal is able to grab it above his head, knows exactly where he is, and keeps his balance. Throws it back in, steps over the fence and back onto the pitch, and claims it easily. Clean catch, and Rasooli's struggle comes to an end!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Runs just not coming from this pair at all. Last boundary was the first ball of the fourth over. Sri Lanka really don't need to do anything here at the moment. They know an error is coming if either of these batters try anything to accelerate – but accelerate they must. Really bad spell of batting.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: 26/0 in the first two overs of the powerplay, and 19/3 in the last 4. In totality, Sri Lanka will be much the happier. Can they consolidate in the middle overs?

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Afghanistan just have no response to this bowling from Thushara! Atal has looked good thus far, but it doesn't matter. Thushara's slingy action brings it back in off a length, and the lefty can't catch up as it thunders through the bat-pad gap to ring his stumps and spell the end of his innings.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: HOW ABOUT THAT! This is how you bounce back from an 18-run over. Thushara has been breathing fire all tournament and he strikes by removing the dangerous Gurbaz with the first ball of his second over.

Last ball of the same over, it's a terrific change-up delivery which swings away late and evades Karim Janat's outside edge to knock over the off stump.

It's 32/2 after 3 overs, just the start this match needed but SL probably slightly happier!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Great cricket from Atal! Gets one on his legs and flicks it with great conviction over leg for six off Chameera. Next ball sliced through cover for four.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: This man has so much threat with his slingy action and ability to generate late swing. Gurbaz creams him for four, but he nearly gets Atal with a great yorker at the end of the over. 8 off it.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Here we go then! Gurbaz has a really good record against Sri Lanka, but Thushara has been breathing fire early all tournament. Key battle early on.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: There's definitely some energy about this match. We should be in for a really good one here. Buckle in.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG:

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Runs on the board is the key says Rashid Khan, who opts to BAT FIRST in Abu Dhabi! New surface and expects a solid match today, he says. Charith Asalanka says he would have batted first as well. Very interesting!

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: 10 minutes from the toss. Both teams might want to know exactly what they have to get – particularly Sri Lanka. Over the course of the evening, the spinners in particular will come into play in big fashion. Wanindu Hasaranga has been one of the most impressive performers in this tournament so far, but Rashid Khan will want to stand up and take responsiblity himself. They have plenty of support in the bowling department on each side as well.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Afghanistan could have all but sealed progression if they beat Bangladesh, but were outclassed on the day earlier this week. Nevertheless, their ability to put away Hong Kong means they have the NRR boost, which keeps them in the hunt – and they don't have the dark horse tag for nothing. Capable of pulling off stunning results on the regular.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: With wins over Bangladesh and Hong Kong, Sri Lanka are in a strong position in this group. However, a near-upset at the hands of HK due to a collapse will have shaken Asalanka's men a touch. Can they recover to put forth their best tonight?

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Watching on from their camp, Bangladesh are in a solid but vulnerable position after their NRR has taken a hit in this tournament. They are on four points after their win over Afghanistan, but qualification is out of their hands. If Sri Lanka see off Afghanistan, then it's through to the Super 4s for the Tigers. If Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka, it is in jeopardy.

However, if Afghanistan win by a big, big margin – by 70 runs in a 150 run chase, for example – they will scrape through on net run rate.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: For both teams, at the outset the demand is simple: avoid defeat today, and book your spot through to the next round and the Super 4s. After that, with Bangladesh in the mix, is where things get complicated.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Group B will draw to a close today evening in Abu Dhabi, in what is a crucial match with several permutations and combinations on the line in terms of qualification. Both teams have it in their hands, but Bangladesh watch on anxiously from the sidelines. All the build up and the live updates from the match, right here on Crickit.