Twitter Reactions: Afghanistan take down Sri Lanka in Pune to stay alive in the semi-final race

Afghanistan continued their dream run in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as they beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Match 30 on Monday, October 30 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. After being put in to bat first, Sri Lanka got bundled out for 241 in 49.3 overs. In reply, Afghanistan chased down the target in 45.2 overs with Azmatullah Omarzai top-scoring with 73* off 63.

They didn’t get off to a great start in their chase losing their opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0 off 4) in the first over itself. However, Ibrahim Zadran (39 off 57) and Rahmat Shah (62 off 74) added 73 runs for the second wicket to stabilize the innings. Following their dismissals, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (58* off 74) and Azmatullah Omarzai got involved in an unbeaten 111-run stand to help their side win by seven wickets.

Also Check: Kusal Mendis hilariously falls onto the stumps while collecting the ball during AFG vs SL clash

Earlier in the day, after being put in to bat first, Sri Lanka lost their opener Dimuth Karunaratne (15 off 21) cheaply with just 22 runs on the board. Following his dismissal, Pathum Nissanka (46 off 60) and Kusal Mendis (39 off 50) added 62 runs for the second wicket off 77 balls. However, both failed to convert their starts into a big score as they got dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai and Mujeeb Ur Rahman respectively.

Fazalhaq Farooqi starred with the ball in the first innings

After the duo returned to the pavilion, Sri Lanka lost wickets in quick succession as batters kept coming in and going out. Charith Asalanka (22 off 28), Dhananjaya de Silva (14 off 26) and Angelo Mathews (23 off 26) all departed cheaply leaving their side reeling at 185/7.

Maheesh Theekshana batted smartly in the end and helped his side reach the total of 241 in 49.3 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan as he picked 4/34 in ten overs while Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/38) also picked two wickets.

Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table

Meanwhile, X was abuzz with reactions on Afghanistan’s emphatic win. Here are some of the posts: