AFG vs SL highlights, World Cup 2023 updates: Afghans win, move to 5th spot
A 111-run partnership between Shahidi (58 not out) and Azmatullah (73 not out) for the unbroken fourth wicket stand formed the cornerstone of the big win, their third in this tournament.
 "Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi")
The result also helped Afghanistan climb to fifth place on the table with six points and with three more matches remaining the Afghans will dream of making a run for the semifinals.
Rahmat Shah, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai slammed well-timed half-centuries to complement the superb bowling effort of pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi as Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their World Cup match on Monday. Check Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka full scorecard
Chasing 242 for victory, Afghanistan went past the target in 45.2 overs for the loss of three wickets. A 111-run partnership between Shahidi (58 not out) and Azmatullah (73 not out) for the unbroken fourth wicket stand formed the cornerstone of the big win, their third in this tournament.
The result also helped them climb to fifth place on the table with six points and with three more matches remaining the Afghans will dream of making a run for the semifinals. Sri Lanka remained on sixth spot with four points from six matches.
Following their breathtaking performances against England and Pakistan, Afghanistan went into the match against Sri Lanka as slight favourites and pacer Farooqi made a huge statement by unleashing his full fury to grab four wickets for 34 runs to demolish the Islanders for 241 runs.
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table here
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table here
Rahmat (62), Shahidi and Azmatullah then played with determination to help their side reach the target.
Despite the early dismissal of his opening partner Rahmanullah Gurbaz, dismissed by left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka for a duck, Ibrahim Zadran (39) steadied the innings during a 72-run second wicket stand with Rahmat.
The dangerous Madushanka troubled Afghanistan with a superb display of swing bowling and gave his side the perfect start when his inswinger crashed into the middle-stump of dangerous opener Gurbaz.
The battle-hardened Afghanistan though were not overly rattled by the early shock and kept dispatching the loose deliveries to the ropes, though most of their runs came in singles and twos.
Zadran and No. 3 Rahmat began the rebuilding process, sewing up a half-century partnership, which saw the team overcoming the early jolt.
Zadran was the more aggressive of the two and made his intentions clear when he dispatched Madushanka for a sweetly-timed boundary through the covers in the third over.
A quality back-foot drive off all-rounder Angelo Mathews through extra cover in the seventh over had class written all over it.
Dushmantha Chameera, brought into the side as a replacement for the injured Lahiru Kumara, tried to extract pace from the wicket but Zadran was in sublime form as he whipped one from the paceman to deep square leg with some lovely wrist work.
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 full schedule here
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 full schedule here
Chameera and spinner Maheesh Theekshana managed to slow down Afghanistan's chase between the 11th and 16th overs by not conceding a single boundary.
As the pressure began to build, Madushanka dug in a bouncer which rose sharply and flew from Zadran's bat to deep third man, where Dimuth Karunaratne pouched it easily.
Rahmat and Shahidi then put their heads together to do the repair job, with the former doing the bulk of the scoring in the 58-run stand for the third wicket.
Luck ran out for Rahmat soon after he had completed his 25th ODI half-century.
After the batting stalwart was grassed at backward point by Sadeera Samarawickrama off the previous delivery from Kasun Rajitha in the 28th over, Rahmat ended up getting a leading edge that popped up to Karunaratne at mid-on.
However, Shahidi and Omarzai's partnership saw Afghanistan achieve another memorable victory in the World Cup.
Earlier, Afghanistan pacer Farooqi played a pivotal role in demolishing Sri Lanka on an easy-paced pitch.
While left-armer Farooqi's fiery pace made life difficult for the rivals, Afghanistan spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/38) and Rashid Khan (1/50) showed the right intent and energy to create pressure and restrict in-form batters like Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
After being asked to bat first, Lankan batting never got going as Farooqi, Mujeeb and Rashid, who was playing his 100th ODI, bowled tight lengths and varied pace despite them getting little assistance from the MCA Stadium surface that played true through the 50 overs.
While opener Nissanka batted with confidence and kept the scoreboard ticking, wasting no opportunity to take singles and twos while scoring an occasional boundary, his partner Dimuth Karunaratne, who replaced Kusal Perera in the playing XI, looked tentative and missed the line on a few occasions.
Karunaratne was finally done in by a Farooqi delivery that darted in and led to a vociferous lbw appeal.
Though the umpire wasn't convinced, the review indicated otherwise and Karunaratne walked back with the score reading 22 for 1.
Nissanka though continued from where he had left off against England, where he had scored a polished unbeaten 77. But the aggression seemed missing on this day as he dealt mostly in ones and twos with skipper Kusal Mendis.
Nissanka tried to play a back of length delivery outside off from Omarzai towards backward point but the ball took the thinnest of edges en route wicketkeeper Gurbaz.
Cricket World Cup 2023: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Playing 11
Afghanistan Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Sri Lanka Playing 11: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera S
amarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka.
amarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka.
(With PTI inputs)
10:30 PM![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka highlights
10:11 PM![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 AFG vs SL highlights | Afghanistan defeated yet another former world champion
Feisty fifties by Rahmat Shah, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullh Omarzai helped Afghanistan defeat tentative Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their World Cup match on Monday.
Rahmat (62), Shahidi (58 not out), who completed 2000 ODI runs, and Omarzai (73 not out) led the chase with aplomb as Afghanistan overhauled the target of 242 in just 45.2 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka produced a dull batting effort to get bundled out for 241.
They were rocked by pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi who grabbed four wickets conceding just 34 runs in his quota of 10 overs.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 241 all out in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 46; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4/34)
Afghanistan: 242 for 3 in 45.2 overs (Rahmat Shah 62, Hashmatullah Shahidi 58 not out, Azmat Omarzai 73 not out) by 7 wickets.
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka full scorecard
10:04 PM![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 points table | Afghanistan move to fifth spot
Afghanistan have moved to fifth spot on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table after beating Sri Lanka by seven wickets.
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table here
(Photo credit: Screengrab from ICC website)
 "Afghanistan position on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table")
Check ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table here
(Photo credit: Screengrab from ICC website)
Afghanistan position on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table
9:59 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 242-3 after 45.2 Overs
Afghanistan 240-3 after 45 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (58); Azmatullah Omarzai (73)
Chameera continues and concedes a single each to the batters. Afghanistan win yet another game in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They have now defeated three former world champions. They have moved to fifth position on the points table after they defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets.
9:55 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 240-3 after 45 Overs
Over Summary: 0 1 1 4 1 1 ; Afghanistan 240-3 after 45 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (57); Azmatullah Omarzai (72)
Rajitha continues and concedes eight runs, including a boundary to Azmatullah.
9:49 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 232-3 after 44 Overs
Over Summary: 4 0 4 1 0 0 ; Afghanistan 232-3 after 44 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (55); Azmatullah Omarzai (66)
Dushmantha Chameera [8.0-0-40-0] is back into the attack and concedes nine runs, including two boundaries.
9:46 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 223-3 after 43 Overs
Over Summary: 1 1 0 2 4 1 ; Afghanistan 223-3 after 43 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (55); Azmatullah Omarzai (57)
Kasun Rajitha [8.0-0-31-1] is back into the attack and concedes nine runs, including a boundary to Azmatullah.
9:44 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 214-3 after 42 Overs
Over Summary: 1 0 0 0 Wd 1 4 ; Afghanistan 214-3 after 42 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (54); Azmatullah Omarzai (49)
Madushanka continues and concedes seven runs, including a boundary to Shahidi.
9:37 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 207-3 after 41 Overs
Over Summary: 0 Wd2 0 0 0 4 0 ; Afghanistan 207-3 after 41 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (49); Azmatullah Omarzai (48)
Theekshana continues and concedes six runs.
9:29 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 201-3 after 40 Overs
Over Summary: 1 4 1 0 1 Wd 0 ; Afghanistan 201-3 after 40 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (49); Azmatullah Omarzai (44)
Madushanka continues and concedes eight runs, including a boundary to Azmat.
9:26 PM
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 193-3 after 39 Overs
Over Summary: 2 1 1 0 1 0 ; Afghanistan 193-3 after 39 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (47); Azmatullah Omarzai (39)
Theekshana continues and concedes five runs.
9:21 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 188-3 after 38 Overs
Over Summary: 0 2 0 2 0 6 ; Afghanistan 188-3 after 38 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (43); Azmatullah Omarzai (38)
Dilshan Madushanka [6.0-0-23-2] is back into the attack and concedes 10 runs.
Azmat hits one six and two doubles in the over.
9:19 PM
Check Afghanistan and Sri Lanka live full scorecard![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 178-3 after 37 Overs
Over Summary: 1 1 0 1 0 1 ; Afghanistan 178-3 after 37 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (43); Azmatullah Omarzai (28)
Theekshana continues and concedes four singles.
9:18 PM
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 174-3 after 36 Overs
Over Summary: 6 0 0 0 1 1 ; Afghanistan 174-3 after 36 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (41); Azmatullah Omarzai (26)
Chameera continues and Azmat guides the first ball over keeper for a SIX.
Chameera comes back with only two runs in the remaining five deliveries.
9:06 PM
![]()
Cricket World Cup 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE SCORE | AFG 166-3 after 35 Overs
Over Summary: 1 1 6 1 0 0 ; Afghanistan 166-3 after 35 Overs; Hashmatullah Shahidi (40); Azmatullah Omarzai (19)
Maheesh Theekshana [6.0-0-31-0] is back into the attack and concedes nine runs, including a six to Azmat.
Topics : ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Afghanistan cricket team Sri Lanka cricket team cricket world cup ICC World Cup Rashid Khan Mohammad Nabi BS Web Reports
Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel
First Published: Oct 30 2023 | 12:31 PM IST
