No India, Pakistan: Afghanistan and Sri Lanka Set for Emerging Asia Cup Final

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will face off in the final of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup after defeating strong teams India and Pakistan in the semifinals. The final will take place tomorrow at the Al Amerat Stadium in Oman.

In the first semifinal, Sri Lanka 'A' team defeated Pakistan Shaheens by 7 wickets. In the second semifinal, Afghanistan 'A' team outclassed India 'A'. Chasing a target of 207 runs, India was bowled out for just 20 runs, leading to a matchup between Afghanistan 'A' and Sri Lanka 'A' in the final.

Batting first, Pakistan scored 135 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. In response, Sri Lanka 'A' reached the target comfortably, losing only 3 wickets and with 21 balls to spare. Opener Omair Yousaf was the standout performer for Pakistan, scoring a quick 68 runs off 46 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes. However, he received little support, as only 4 batters reached double figures. Dushan Hemanta was the star bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 4 wickets for just 21 runs.

Sri Lanka's innings began explosively with opener Lahiru Udara scoring 43 runs off just 20 balls, including 4 sixes and 2 fours. Ahan Vikramasinghe then secured the victory for his team with a 52-run cameo off 46 balls.

In the other semifinal, Afghanistan 'A' triumphed over the formidable India 'A' team by 20 runs. Afghanistan posted a total of 206 runs for 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs, bolstered by explosive innings from their top-order batsmen. Opener Zubaid Akbari scored 64 runs off 41 balls, while fellow opener Siddiqullah Atal contributed 83 runs off 52 balls. Karim Janat added a quick 41 runs at over a 200 strike rate.

In their chase, India’s middle-order batsman Ramandeep Singh was the only one to make a significant contribution with 64 runs. Ayush Badoni managed 31 runs off 24 balls. Ultimately, India was bowled out for 186 runs. For Afghanistan, Allah Ghaznfar was exceptional with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for just 14 runs in 3 overs.