Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka expressed relief that his team managed to secure a victory against the determined Afghanistan side in the Asia Cup on Tuesday to secure a spot in the 'Super 4' stage of the tournament.
In a thrilling match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Sri Lanka won by just two runs thanks to Kasun Rajitha's impressive four-wicket performance and Dhananjaya de Silva's crucial two wickets in the 38th over.
Sri Lanka set a target of 292 for Afghanistan, who had to chase it down in 37.1 overs or less in order to advance to the 'Super 4' stage.
In a nail-biting finish, Sri Lanka maintained their composure to secure a victory.
"It's a tough one, very hard to defend such a total. DDS (Dhananjaya) and my wicket - that was the important part of the game. Mendis and Asalanka built the innings really well. We didn't chip today. Credit to (Maheesh) Theekshana and (Dunith) Wellalage - they played brilliantly to finish on 291," Dasun Shanaka said during a post-match presentation.
Sri Lanka took control of the crucial Asia Cup fixture after deciding to bat first, thanks to Kusal Mendis' impressive 92 and a late partnership of 64 runs between Wellalage and Theekshana.
"Kasun opened the door for us. Nabi played an outstanding inning, which almost took away the game from us. We found a way to win," Shanaka said.
On Saturday, Sri Lanka will square off against Bangladesh in their inaugural 'Super 4' match, scheduled to take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
(With agency inputs)
