Afghanistan A Defeats India A by 20 Runs in Emerging Teams Asia Cup Semi-Final

Al Amerat: In the second semi-final of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, Afghanistan A defeated India A by 20 runs, securing their place in the final against Sri Lanka A.

Batting first, Afghanistan posted a strong total of 206 runs for 4 wickets in their 20 overs. Opening batsmen Sediqullah Atal and Zubaid Akbari set the tone with a fantastic partnership, scoring 137 runs together. Akbari made 64 runs off 41 balls, while Atal contributed significantly as well. Karim Janat added 41 runs off just 20 balls before getting out.

In response, India A struggled with their chase, finishing at 186 runs for 7 wickets. Their innings started poorly, losing the first two wickets quickly. Ramandeep Singh was the top scorer for India, making 64 runs off 34 balls, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

For Afghanistan, AM Ghazanfar and Abdul Rahman took 2 wickets each, while Sharafuddin Ashraf picked up 1 wicket.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka A qualified for the final by defeating Pakistan Shaheens. Dushan Hemantha’s excellent four-wicket haul helped restrict Pakistan to 135 runs. Sri Lanka chased down the target successfully in the 17th over, thanks to a solid partnership between Lahiru Udara and Ahan Wickramasinghe.

The final will see Afghanistan A face Sri Lanka A in what promises to be an exciting matchup.