Sports Desk: Sri Lanka confirmed the final of the Emerging Asia Cup by beating Pakistan. India or Afghanistan were waiting for their partner in the final at Al Amerat Stadium. The Lankans are over waiting.
Afghanistan
Sri Lanka has got Afghanistan as the opponent in next Sunday's final.
Afghans have reached the final for the first time as opposed to Sri Lanka's third time. They beat India by 20 runs to reach the podium.
India had to play a stormy innings in the beginning to win. The target of 207 runs given by Afghanistan is not less.
India, however, started the batting rush. However, they keep losing wickets regularly. Due to this, India lost 3 wickets for 48 runs and was under pressure.
Ayush Badani (31) and Nehal Wadhera put on 32 runs in the fourth wicket to handle the pressure.
However, India was under pressure when Nehal was run out in his personal 20 runs. Later they could not overcome that pressure. India lost by 20 runs. After playing an innings of 64 runs, only Ramandeep Singh reduced the margin of defeat.
Earlier, the two openers of Afghanistan, Zubaid Akbari and Sediqullah Atal, won the toss and went into bat.
Especially Sedikullah. The opposition bowlers are not getting relief from his bat in the tournament. The left-handed opener, who was called up to the national team against Bangladesh a few days ago, is smashing the bollard with devastating batting. Top run scorer of the tournament with 313 runs including today's match scored fifty in each of the 4 matches. All in all, he has scored fifty in the last 5 matches of the short version.
Arranged the innings in four-sixes. India's bowlers are also not freed from Sediqullah's hands today. He made a partnership of 137 runs with his opening teammate Akbari on the way to playing an 83-run innings. The innings of 52 balls is decorated with 7 fours and 4 sixes. Akbari did not go short. Played an innings of 64 runs off 41 balls before being dismissed as the first batsman. Hit 5 fours against 4 sixes.
Karim Janat has managed to catch the rhythm of the batting of the two. The Afghan batsman who played 66 T20 matches for the national team played a devastating innings of 41 runs off 20 balls. Down for three, he arranged a batting innings of 205.00 strikerate with 4 fours and 2 sixes. The collection of Afghans is also big in the three-man batting. They made 206 runs for 4 wickets.