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: Kusal Mendis goes 4, 4, and that is that with an over and a half to spare! He ends on 74* with a terrific effort, and the dream dies for Afghanistan as their road ends here. Three wins out of three for a Sri Lankan unit that has looked very good this tournament, and has been value for their results. A performance to be proud of, as they go through, with Bangladesh in tow.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Boundaries coming by thick and fast now. Farooqi also gets some tonk. Sri Lanka need just 10 off the last 2 overs. Afghanistan's fans and dugout looking despondent.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Disaster over for Noor Ahmad! Just can't find his radar. Fired down leg for a couple of wides, takes the pace off and is hit straight back for six, goes short and wide and is hammered over covers for four. Just nothing coming off and Sri Lanka only needed 25 off the last three overs! Afghanistan have lost control of this match.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Good news, he's back up and ready to go. That's great to see. This has been a really good and economical spell from him, just 23 off his 4.

42 needed off the last 4.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Uh oh. Rashid Khan tries to pivot and throw – if he hits it's out, but he misses. To make matters worse, he has tweaked his back and immediately turned over in pain. Hopefully this isn't something too bad, but he has had back issues in the past. He looks in poor shape, physio out quickly.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Noor Ahmad strikes! It's not a great delivery, but Asalanka can't get enough power behind it. Rashid on the midwicket boundary hunts it down like only he can in world cricket, hungry to take the catch, and takes it really well. Slides and gets him out. Important one – Asalanka was looking good.

51 needed off 31, wickets will be key now.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Pathum Nissanka overtook Kusal Mendis in terms of T20I half-centuries in the last match, and Kusal has matched him just one game later. He has batted sensationally against the spin, but now that he is set and has seen out the Afghani spin trio, he will need to get ready to launch. Rate approaching 10s.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: 101 was the magic number to ensure qualification, and Sri Lanka have reached that mark. Bangladesh's anxieties now far simpler: they are supporting their Lankan rivals all the way. Will Mendis and Asalanka use some freedom to play their cricket now?

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Wow, this game has all the right twists and turns! We were just preparing to say how SL are wrestling control as Perera plays a switch hit to clear short third, but Mujeed with a piece of sensational spin bowling! Loop and turn, knocks him off balance and catches the outside edge, which is very nicely snapped up by Gurbaz!

92/3 after 11.2, partnership is broken, onto Sri Lanka's vulnerable middle order with 78 still needed off 52. Going to be a humdinger as skipper Asalanka walks in.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025, SL vs AFG: Couple of Afghanistan unforced errors allowing the score to tick along nicely for Sri Lanka without too many risks. Kusal Mendis takes a small one with a slog sweep which just about clears a shallow deep mid-wicket. This partnership will begin to concern the bowling team just a touch now.

88 needed off the back 10.

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.