1
0
1
6
0
1
= 9
Match Details
AP vs SLL, 1st T20, Asian Legends T20 2026 summary
AP
138-6(20.0)
Sri Lankan Lions won by 15 runs 🏆
SLL
(20.0)153-6
+
P'ship : 5(6)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
So this brings us to the close of the first game of the Asian Legends League T20 2026. The start was delayed by more than 2 hours, but once the cricketing action started, it was a thriller of a match from both sides that was on display. But a remarkable performance from Thisara Perera and Co. to defend a fighting total on a very slow pitch.
That is it from this match. Myself, Abhishek Sharma, along with my co-commentators Mohammad Anab, Ninaad Dixit, Deepak Prakash and our scorer/analyst, Yogesh Kumar, signing off. But the cricketing action continues on CREX as you can switch tabs and catch some exhilarating live cricketing action from the Lanka Premier League and The Hundred. TAKE CARE AND SEE YOU SOON!
That is it from this match. Myself, Abhishek Sharma, along with my co-commentators Mohammad Anab, Ninaad Dixit, Deepak Prakash and our scorer/analyst, Yogesh Kumar, signing off. But the cricketing action continues on CREX as you can switch tabs and catch some exhilarating live cricketing action from the Lanka Premier League and The Hundred. TAKE CARE AND SEE YOU SOON!
Thisara Perera (POTM & Sri Lankan Lions Captain): "(On his slower ones working well) Yeah, that's why I said earlier in my interview with you that this is not a very good pitch to chase on because it offers a bit of spin. That's why I felt 153 was more than enough for us. I told my boys not to worry about the 80 or 90 runs they scored in the first 10 overs. I was confident that if we bowled the next 10 overs with the right lengths and executed the right deliveries, we could come back strongly. As a bowling unit, I think we did really well.
(On introducing spinners right after powerplay) Actually, Malinda Pushpakumara and Asela Gunaratne are both very experienced bowlers. Malinda has taken over 1,000 first-class wickets, so he has a wealth of experience. I know their capabilities, that's why I brought them into the attack and trusted them to do the job.
(On his own performance) Actually, my strength is my slower ball. During my international career, I've taken a lot of wickets with my leg-cutter. Sometimes I try to bowl quicker, but it doesn't always work for me. So I decided to rely more on my leg-cutters. It worked for me today, and it's worked well throughout my career too."
(On introducing spinners right after powerplay) Actually, Malinda Pushpakumara and Asela Gunaratne are both very experienced bowlers. Malinda has taken over 1,000 first-class wickets, so he has a wealth of experience. I know their capabilities, that's why I brought them into the attack and trusted them to do the job.
(On his own performance) Actually, my strength is my slower ball. During my international career, I've taken a lot of wickets with my leg-cutter. Sometimes I try to bowl quicker, but it doesn't always work for me. So I decided to rely more on my leg-cutters. It worked for me today, and it's worked well throughout my career too."
Player of the Match: Thisara Perera
Asghar Afghan (Afghanistan Pathans): "(On what went wrong in the chase) Honestly, at the start, Mausif and Shabir gave us an outstanding start. They both batted really well. Later on, once the ball got older, batting became a bit difficult. The main reason we fell short was that we couldn't rotate the strike well enough. If we had managed to rotate the strike more consistently, things could have been different.
Another factor was that the players had travelled a long distance. Some came from Canada, while others came from Afghanistan. The long flights left the boys feeling a bit stiff. This match will be a great learning experience for everyone. Now we have a better understanding of how we need to play in these conditions. We have a team meeting after the match, and that's exactly what we'll be discussing.
(On the road ahead in the tournament) We still have a chance. We'll come back with full energy and give it our best. Our aim will be to win the next match. The boys are still full of energy. Of course, after a defeat, the team's morale drops a little, but that doesn't mean the players aren't good enough. We'll discuss today's game, learn from our mistakes, and understand how we need to play here in our upcoming matches."
Another factor was that the players had travelled a long distance. Some came from Canada, while others came from Afghanistan. The long flights left the boys feeling a bit stiff. This match will be a great learning experience for everyone. Now we have a better understanding of how we need to play in these conditions. We have a team meeting after the match, and that's exactly what we'll be discussing.
(On the road ahead in the tournament) We still have a chance. We'll come back with full energy and give it our best. Our aim will be to win the next match. The boys are still full of energy. Of course, after a defeat, the team's morale drops a little, but that doesn't mean the players aren't good enough. We'll discuss today's game, learn from our mistakes, and understand how we need to play here in our upcoming matches."
Time for post-match presentations...
9:14 PM IST, 5:44 PM Local Time: End of the game. Sri Lankan Lions snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as they win by 15 runs. Afghanistan Pathans had this game in their control but they lost their way in the death overs.
After being given a target of 154 runs, Afghanistan Pathans thought that they would easily chase down the Sri Lankan Lions' score. They even had a brilliant opening stand as well but it was not enough. Afghanistan's innings began positively with Mausif Khan taking the attack to the bowlers. The aggressive opener smashed 39 off 24 balls, striking four fours and three sixes, while Shabir Noori contributed 23 off 26 deliveries to keep the scoreboard moving. The duo added more than 60 runs in the powerplay and had an opening stand of 81 runs.
After Mausif's dismissal at 81, Afghanistan started losing wickets in quick succession, thanks to Thisara Perera's clever bowling, who used slower ones to great effect. However, the dismissals of both openers, followed quickly by captain Asghar Afghan for just 2, halted the Pathans' progress and left them under pressure. Munir Ahmad Kakkar tried to rebuild with 17, while Waqarullah Ishaq chipped in with 9, but neither could convert their starts into a significant contribution and Pathans were reduced to 107/5 by the end of the 16th over.
Late resistance came from Khaiber Omar, who remained unbeaten on 20 off 14 balls, and Mohammad Mujtaba, who finished not out on 2, but the required acceleration never materialised as Afghanistan closed on 138/6.
Sri Lankan Lions' bowling was led brilliantly by captain Perera, who returned outstanding figures of 3/13 from four overs, removing the dangerous Mausif Khan, Shabir Noori, and Asghar Afghan. Asela Gunaratne, Vikum Sanjaya, and Milinda Siriwardana chipped in with a wicket each, while Malinda Pushpakumara impressed with an economical spell of 4-0-22-0, ensuring the Pathans never got to the target.
Notably, the match was scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST (12 PM Local Time) but for some unknown reason it started late by more than two hours. Also, there were frequent interruptions in the live broadcasting of the game, which caused inconvenience for the fans.
After being given a target of 154 runs, Afghanistan Pathans thought that they would easily chase down the Sri Lankan Lions' score. They even had a brilliant opening stand as well but it was not enough. Afghanistan's innings began positively with Mausif Khan taking the attack to the bowlers. The aggressive opener smashed 39 off 24 balls, striking four fours and three sixes, while Shabir Noori contributed 23 off 26 deliveries to keep the scoreboard moving. The duo added more than 60 runs in the powerplay and had an opening stand of 81 runs.
After Mausif's dismissal at 81, Afghanistan started losing wickets in quick succession, thanks to Thisara Perera's clever bowling, who used slower ones to great effect. However, the dismissals of both openers, followed quickly by captain Asghar Afghan for just 2, halted the Pathans' progress and left them under pressure. Munir Ahmad Kakkar tried to rebuild with 17, while Waqarullah Ishaq chipped in with 9, but neither could convert their starts into a significant contribution and Pathans were reduced to 107/5 by the end of the 16th over.
Late resistance came from Khaiber Omar, who remained unbeaten on 20 off 14 balls, and Mohammad Mujtaba, who finished not out on 2, but the required acceleration never materialised as Afghanistan closed on 138/6.
Sri Lankan Lions' bowling was led brilliantly by captain Perera, who returned outstanding figures of 3/13 from four overs, removing the dangerous Mausif Khan, Shabir Noori, and Asghar Afghan. Asela Gunaratne, Vikum Sanjaya, and Milinda Siriwardana chipped in with a wicket each, while Malinda Pushpakumara impressed with an economical spell of 4-0-22-0, ensuring the Pathans never got to the target.
Notably, the match was scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST (12 PM Local Time) but for some unknown reason it started late by more than two hours. Also, there were frequent interruptions in the live broadcasting of the game, which caused inconvenience for the fans.
OVER 20
Afghanistan Pathans
138/6
Muhammad Mujtaba
2(3)
Khaibar Omar
20(14)
Thisara Perera
3-13(4.0)
19.6 Thisara Perera to Muhammad Mujtaba
0 A SWING AND A MISS, AND THAT WILL BE A REMARKABLE VICTORY FOR THE SRI LANKAN LIONS BY 15 RUNS! The Lions have started their campaign with a thumping win, and the skipper has well and truly led his team right from the front with his brilliant bowling display. It was a slower delivery outside the off stump, going across the lefty batter, who goes for the wild slog but only manages to meet some thin air.
19.5 Thisara Perera to Khaibar Omar
1 Slower one. Perera is giving no pace to hit the ball. Back of the hand. Short of length. Outside off. Sticks into the pitch. Tries to tonk it over the covers from waist height. Doesn't get power on it and the ball goes in the air and lands well short of the deep cover-point.
Commentary