1
1
1
1
1
4
= 9
Match Details
AFG-A vs SL-A, 3rd ODI, Tri Series in SL 2026 summary
SL-A
231-2(28.1)
Sri Lanka A won by 8 wickets (DLS METHOD) 🏆
AFG-A
(49.4)245-10
+
P'ship : 137(126)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
So what is the lasting image from this contest? Is it Afghanistan-A fighting to reach 245 after several setbacks? Is it Gunasekara's excellent spell of 3/32? Or is it Fernando standing tall with an unbeaten century while the target vanished before the 29th over? The answer is probably all of them. But above all, this was a reminder that ODI cricket rewards adaptability. Rain changed the equation. Sri Lanka-A changed gears. And the result was emphatic. An eight-wicket victory. Seventy-seven balls unused. Two points secured. And a statement is sent to the rest of the competition.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Manan Mehta, and scorer Bishal Mandal. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Manan Mehta, and scorer Bishal Mandal. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Sahan Arachchige (Sri Lanka-A Captain): "(On the bowling effort) Actually the bowlers did very well. They were going for 300. Our bowlers did very well. We kept them down to 250 and that is a great effort.
(On the openers giving a perfect start) Our openers had a great start. That is where we killed the match. Then Sadeera contributed pretty nicely to see the game off."
(On the openers giving a perfect start) Our openers had a great start. That is where we killed the match. Then Sadeera contributed pretty nicely to see the game off."
Imran Mir (Afghanistan-A Captain): (On where the game was lost) "Actually, at the beginning, we were trying to achieve 280 or something. The first Powerplay went really well for us. But in the middle, we couldn't carry the momentum. And that was what happened.
(On learnings) We had expectations from our bowlers to deliver, but it didn't go our way, and we have learned lessons from the last two matches. Hopefully, we will do well in the next game."
(On learnings) We had expectations from our bowlers to deliver, but it didn't go our way, and we have learned lessons from the last two matches. Hopefully, we will do well in the next game."
Avishka Fernando's quote could not be taken as it was in local language Sinhalese.
Player of the Match: Avishka Fernando
Time for post-match presentations...
5:20 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: Rain changes the rules... but courage decides who masters them. Did Sri Lanka-A merely chase a target today? Not quite. They chased a moment. They chased momentum. And they chased it at breathtaking speed. In a rain-affected contest where Afghanistan-A's 245 was revised to 231 from 41 overs via the DLS method, Sri Lanka-A turned the chase into a one-sided spectacle, storming home with eight wickets in hand and a staggering 77 balls to spare. The hosts understood the weather, understood the equation, and most importantly, understood the urgency. Afghanistan-A fought hard with the bat and posted what looked like a competitive 245, but Sri Lanka-A's fearless top order simply blew the game apart.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did Afghanistan-A begin after being asked to bat? Carefully. Maybe even a touch cautiously. Mohamed Shiraz conceded seven in the opening over, but Sri Lanka-A kept things tight thereafter. Imran and Hassan Eisakhil tried to build a foundation and guided Afghanistan-A to 51/0 after 10 overs in the first Powerplay. The scoring wasn't explosive, but it was steady. However, just before the Powerplay ended, Chamika Gunasekara struck a crucial blow, removing skipper Imran for 21. Was it a breakthrough that shifted momentum? Absolutely. Afghanistan-A had started reasonably, but Sri Lanka-A had already begun tightening the screws.
What happened through the middle overs? Afghanistan-A kept rebuilding but never quite managed to break free. Hassan Eisakhil looked fluent for his 46 off 48 balls, striking seven boundaries, but Vijayakanth Viyaskanth trapped him lbw at 83/2 in the 17th over. Khalid Taniwal contributed 22 before a sharp run-out ended his stay at 108/3. Then came Bahir Shah and Farmanullah. Their partnership steadied the innings and carried Afghanistan-A through the second Powerplay phase. Bahir's 44 off 46 was particularly important, but Sahan Arachchige eventually broke that stand at 158/4 in the 34th over. The drinks break arrived with Afghanistan-A still hoping for a strong finish, but Sri Lanka-A's bowlers never allowed a complete takeover.
Did Afghanistan-A find a late surge? Yes, but perhaps not enough. Farmanullah battled hard for 35 off 59 before falling at 206/6 in the 42nd over. Mohammad Ishaq chipped in with a valuable 30 from 29 balls, while Abdollah Ahmadzai added late fireworks with 21 off just 13 deliveries, including a six. The final Powerplay saw Afghanistan-A score 49 runs while losing five wickets. Chamika Gunasekara was outstanding at the death, finishing with 3/32 from 8.4 overs, while Viyaskanth and Mathulan claimed two wickets each. Afghanistan-A were eventually bowled out for 245. A decent total? Certainly. A winning total after rain interruptions? That was the big question.
And then... came the Chase!!!
Or should we call it a storm? Sri Lanka-A knew rain could play a role again, and they treated the revised DLS target like a T20 chase. Fifty arrived in just 3.4 overs. One hundred came up in only 7.3 overs. One hundred and fifty followed by the 15.2-over mark. The opening 8-over mandatory Powerplay ended with Sri Lanka-A sitting at a ridiculous 100/2. Was this batting, or was it controlled destruction? Probably both. Afghanistan-A simply had no answer as boundaries flowed almost every over.
Who led this breathtaking assault? Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando. Dickwella played one of the most explosive knocks you'll see in List-A cricket, smashing 49 from just 19 balls with nine fours and a six. He single-handedly ripped apart Abdollah Ahmadzai and Shams ur Rahman. His dismissal at 76/1 finally gave Afghanistan-A some relief. Farmanullah then struck again immediately, dismissing debutant Vishen Halambage for 4 at 94/2. Did Afghanistan-A have a window back into the contest at that point? Briefly. Very briefly.
What followed was complete domination. Avishka Fernando and Sadeera Samarawickrama shut every door Afghanistan-A hoped to open. Fernando produced a magnificent unbeaten century, reaching 108 off just 79 deliveries with 14 fours and three sixes. At the other end, Samarawickrama played the perfect supporting role with an unbeaten 60 from 70 balls. Together they stitched an unbroken 137-run partnership for the third wicket. The required rate never became a factor. In fact, Sri Lanka-A were scoring at over eight runs an over throughout the chase. By the 20-over mark, they were already 178/2. By the 25th over, victory was merely a formality.
Looking back, where was the game won? In the Powerplay. Sri Lanka-A's 100/2 in the first eight overs completely shattered Afghanistan-A's hopes of defending the DLS-adjusted target. While Afghanistan-A's bowlers struggled for control, Sri Lanka-A's batters maximized every scoring opportunity. Farmanullah's two wickets were the only bright spots in an otherwise difficult afternoon. Zahir Khan bowled economically with 0/27 from six overs, but there simply wasn't enough scoreboard pressure to work with. Once Fernando settled in, the result felt inevitable.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did Afghanistan-A begin after being asked to bat? Carefully. Maybe even a touch cautiously. Mohamed Shiraz conceded seven in the opening over, but Sri Lanka-A kept things tight thereafter. Imran and Hassan Eisakhil tried to build a foundation and guided Afghanistan-A to 51/0 after 10 overs in the first Powerplay. The scoring wasn't explosive, but it was steady. However, just before the Powerplay ended, Chamika Gunasekara struck a crucial blow, removing skipper Imran for 21. Was it a breakthrough that shifted momentum? Absolutely. Afghanistan-A had started reasonably, but Sri Lanka-A had already begun tightening the screws.
What happened through the middle overs? Afghanistan-A kept rebuilding but never quite managed to break free. Hassan Eisakhil looked fluent for his 46 off 48 balls, striking seven boundaries, but Vijayakanth Viyaskanth trapped him lbw at 83/2 in the 17th over. Khalid Taniwal contributed 22 before a sharp run-out ended his stay at 108/3. Then came Bahir Shah and Farmanullah. Their partnership steadied the innings and carried Afghanistan-A through the second Powerplay phase. Bahir's 44 off 46 was particularly important, but Sahan Arachchige eventually broke that stand at 158/4 in the 34th over. The drinks break arrived with Afghanistan-A still hoping for a strong finish, but Sri Lanka-A's bowlers never allowed a complete takeover.
Did Afghanistan-A find a late surge? Yes, but perhaps not enough. Farmanullah battled hard for 35 off 59 before falling at 206/6 in the 42nd over. Mohammad Ishaq chipped in with a valuable 30 from 29 balls, while Abdollah Ahmadzai added late fireworks with 21 off just 13 deliveries, including a six. The final Powerplay saw Afghanistan-A score 49 runs while losing five wickets. Chamika Gunasekara was outstanding at the death, finishing with 3/32 from 8.4 overs, while Viyaskanth and Mathulan claimed two wickets each. Afghanistan-A were eventually bowled out for 245. A decent total? Certainly. A winning total after rain interruptions? That was the big question.
And then... came the Chase!!!
Or should we call it a storm? Sri Lanka-A knew rain could play a role again, and they treated the revised DLS target like a T20 chase. Fifty arrived in just 3.4 overs. One hundred came up in only 7.3 overs. One hundred and fifty followed by the 15.2-over mark. The opening 8-over mandatory Powerplay ended with Sri Lanka-A sitting at a ridiculous 100/2. Was this batting, or was it controlled destruction? Probably both. Afghanistan-A simply had no answer as boundaries flowed almost every over.
Who led this breathtaking assault? Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando. Dickwella played one of the most explosive knocks you'll see in List-A cricket, smashing 49 from just 19 balls with nine fours and a six. He single-handedly ripped apart Abdollah Ahmadzai and Shams ur Rahman. His dismissal at 76/1 finally gave Afghanistan-A some relief. Farmanullah then struck again immediately, dismissing debutant Vishen Halambage for 4 at 94/2. Did Afghanistan-A have a window back into the contest at that point? Briefly. Very briefly.
What followed was complete domination. Avishka Fernando and Sadeera Samarawickrama shut every door Afghanistan-A hoped to open. Fernando produced a magnificent unbeaten century, reaching 108 off just 79 deliveries with 14 fours and three sixes. At the other end, Samarawickrama played the perfect supporting role with an unbeaten 60 from 70 balls. Together they stitched an unbroken 137-run partnership for the third wicket. The required rate never became a factor. In fact, Sri Lanka-A were scoring at over eight runs an over throughout the chase. By the 20-over mark, they were already 178/2. By the 25th over, victory was merely a formality.
Looking back, where was the game won? In the Powerplay. Sri Lanka-A's 100/2 in the first eight overs completely shattered Afghanistan-A's hopes of defending the DLS-adjusted target. While Afghanistan-A's bowlers struggled for control, Sri Lanka-A's batters maximized every scoring opportunity. Farmanullah's two wickets were the only bright spots in an otherwise difficult afternoon. Zahir Khan bowled economically with 0/27 from six overs, but there simply wasn't enough scoreboard pressure to work with. Once Fernando settled in, the result felt inevitable.
OVER 29
Sri Lanka A
231/2
Sadeera Samarawickrama
60(70)
Avishka Fernando
108(79)
Farmanullah Safi
2-40(5.1)
28.1 Farmanullah Safi to Sadeera Samarawickrama
1 Over the wicket. Good length and around off. Sadeera rides the bounce and runs it down to deep third for one. SRI LANKA-A HAVE DEFEATED AFGHANISTAN-A BY 8 WICKETS WITH 77 BALLS TO SPARE!!!
Commentary