Afghanistan’s rollercoaster ride in the Asia Cup 2025 came to a sudden halt on Wednesday night as Sri Lanka chased down 170 with six wickets to spare, knocking the Afghans out of the tournament.
It all started like a dream. Nuwan Thushara ripped through Afghanistan’s top order, leaving them gasping at 55 for 5. Just when it seemed like the match was slipping into one-sided boredom, veteran Mohammad Nabi turned into a one-man army. His explosive 60 off just 22 balls, including five sixes in the final over, sent the crowd into a frenzy and dragged Afghanistan to 169-7.
But cricket has a way of humbling even the boldest comebacks. Sri Lanka, calm and calculated, built partnerships through Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka before Dasun Shanaka’s late hitting sealed the chase in the 18th over. Afghanistan’s bowlers tried their best, but the momentum from Nabi’s blitz wasn’t enough to cover for the earlier batting collapse.
With this loss, Afghanistan are officially out of the Asia Cup, ending their campaign with the unofficial badge of “Asia’s Second-Best Team That Still Couldn’t Qualify.”
For Sri Lanka, the win means a smooth entry into the Super Four stage, where tougher battles await. For Afghanistan, it’s back to the drawing board — and perhaps, back to the memes.
