Afghanistan A clinched the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 title with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka A. Star player Sediqullah Atal, who has been instrumental throughout the tournament, played a crucial role in the final, scoring an unbeaten 55 runs.
Afghanistan A win maiden Emerging Asia Cup title
Sri Lanka A, batting first, set a modest target of 133 runs. Sahan Arachchige top-scored with 64 runs, while Pawan Rathnayake and Nimesh Vimukthi contributed 20 and 23 runs, respectively. Afghanistan A's Bilal Sami and Allah Ghazanfar were the pick of the bowlers, taking three and two wickets, respectively. In response, Afghanistan A lost their opener Zubaid Akbari early on, but Sediqullah Atal, along with Darwish Rasooli and Karim Janat, stabilized the innings. Atal's unbeaten 55 runs, which included three fours and a six, guided Afghanistan A to a comfortable victory.
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Sri Lanka's under-par total
Sri Lanka A, batting first, suffered a disastrous start, losing their top four batters within the first five overs. Yashodha Lanka and Lahiru Udara were dismissed cheaply by Bilal Sami. AM Ghazanfar, the other opening bowler, also struck twice, removing captain Nuwanidu Fernando and Ahan Wickramasinghe. This early collapse left Sri Lanka A reeling at 25/4 at the end of the powerplay.
After a disastrous start, Sri Lanka A's middle-order, led by Pawan Rathnayake and Sahan Arachchige, stabilized the innings with a 50-run partnership. Rathnayake scored 20 runs before being run out, while Arachchige played a valiant knock of 64* runs. Nimesh Vimukthi also contributed 23 runs to the total.
For Afghanistan A, AM Ghazanfar and Bilal Sami were the standout bowlers, taking 2-14 and 3-22, respectively. Their early breakthroughs set the tone for the match, putting Sri Lanka A on the back foot. Sri Lanka A made an early breakthrough, dismissing Afghanistan A's opener Zubaid Akbari with the first ball of the innings. Sahan Arachchige, who had earlier impressed with the bat, claimed the wicket.
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Sediqullah Atal's fifty propels Afghanistan to glorious title triumph
Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli formed a 43-run partnership to steady the chase. However, the dismissal of Rasooli by Dushan Hemantha put a slight dent in Afghanistan A's momentum. At the halfway stage, Afghanistan A required 79 runs from 60 balls. Sediqullah Atal played a crucial role in Afghanistan A's victory, scoring an unbeaten 55 runs off 55 balls. His partnerships with Karim Janat and Mohammad Ishaq propelled Afghanistan A towards the target. With this win, Afghanistan A secured their first-ever ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup title.
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