The Afghanistan Under-19 cricket team faced a heavy defeat against Sri Lanka in their second match of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup, losing by 131 runs.
Sri Lanka, opting to bat first after winning the toss, set a target of 244 runs for Afghanistan, finishing with 7 wickets down. Afghanistan’s batting lineup struggled to respond, managing only 112 runs in 28.2 overs before being bowled out.
Afghanistan’s standout performance came from Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took 3 wickets for 35 runs in 10 overs. For Sri Lanka, Sharujan Shanmuganathan starred with the bat, scoring an impressive 102 runs off 132 balls.
This marks Afghanistan’s second loss in the tournament, following their 45-run defeat to Bangladesh in their opening match.
Afghanistan will look to turn their fortunes around in their next match against Nepal, scheduled for Tuesday.
With this victory, Sri Lanka, competing in Group ‘B,’ secured a spot in the semi-finals with one game to spare.
Currently leading their group, Sri Lanka will face Bangladesh in their final group stage match on Tuesday (03).
Notably, Bangladesh have also confirmed their place in the semi-finals, setting the stage for an exciting clash between the two teams.
--With agencies inputs
