Sri Lanka’s opening batsmen, Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka, powered their team to a resounding nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the final ODI, securing a 2-1 series win for the hosts on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 120 in Hambantota, Sri Lanka comfortably reached the total with 34 overs to spare. The Afghan top order struggled against Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling attack, led by the impressive Dushmantha Chameera, who was awarded the man-of-the-match for his outstanding performance.
This triumph provided a much-needed confidence boost for Sri Lanka as they prepare for a qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, where two World Cup spots are up for grabs.
Although Afghanistan has already secured their place in the World Cup, which will be held in India in October, their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed disappointment in their batting performance, describing it as “a bad day for our batters.” He acknowledged that losing too many wickets early on disrupted their momentum.
Pathum Nissanka wasted no time in the chase, smashing his seventh ODI half-century off just 32 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. He departed for 51, ending an 84-run partnership for the opening wicket. Meanwhile, Dimuth Karunaratne, playing his first ODI series in over two years, remained unbeaten on 56, ensuring Sri Lanka reached the target without further loss of wickets. Karunaratne’s knock came off 45 balls, featuring seven boundaries and marking his eighth ODI half-century.
With Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 11, Sri Lanka reached the target in a mere 16 overs, sealing an early finish to the game.
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first, but Dushmantha Chameera’s fiery spells quickly established Sri Lanka’s dominance, preventing the tourists from building significant partnerships. Chameera, making a successful comeback after a seven-month recovery from ankle surgery, claimed four wickets for 63 runs, earning him the well-deserved man-of-the-match accolade.
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga contributed to Afghanistan’s downfall with figures of 3-7, while fast bowler Lahiru Kumara picked up two wickets as the visitors were bundled out for a meager total of 116.
After a comprehensive victory for Afghanistan in the first game, Sri Lanka displayed their resilience by bouncing back to win the second match by a commanding 132 runs.
