Sunday 27 / October / 2024
MUSCAT: The ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat will be remembered as the tournament of Sediqullah Atal, who delivered an outstanding performance throughout the series.
His fifth consecutive half-century in the final on Sunday sealed Afghanistan A’s seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka A, crowning them the champions at the Oman Cricket Academy ground.
Sediqullah's match-winning 55 not out was the pinnacle of a clinical performance by the Afghan Abdalyan side. Complemented by stellar bowling from Bilal Sami and Allah Ghazanfar, who claimed three and two wickets respectively, Afghanistan restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 133/7.
Chasing 134, Sediqullah maintained his sensational form, crafting a composed, run-a-ball half-century adorned with three boundaries and a six. His performance, backed by contributions from Karim Janat (33) and captain Darwish Rasooli (24), led Afghanistan A to its first Asian title since the 2017 ACC U19 Asia Cup.
Sri Lanka initially found hope when Sahan Arachchige dismissed Zubaid Akbari off the first ball of the chase.
However, Sediqullah and Rasooli guided Afghanistan safely through the powerplay, adding 43 runs before Rasooli fell to Dushan Hemantha.
Janat's aggressive 33 from 27 balls included a flurry of boundaries, keeping the momentum firmly with Afghanistan despite his dismissal at 95 in the 15th over. Sediqullah’s steady presence anchored the chase, and Mohammed Ishaq’s quickfire 16 off six balls sealed the victory with 1.5 overs to spare.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s bowlers had set the tone with a remarkable opening spell.
Allah Ghazanfar’s economical 2/14 and Sami’s fiery start left Sri Lanka struggling at 15/4 within the first 4.2 overs and 25/4 by the end of the powerplay.
Arachchige stood as Sri Lanka’s lone warrior, scoring an unbeaten 64 off 47 balls, which included six boundaries.
He found brief support in Pavan Rathnayake, but a disastrous mix-up resulted in Rathnayake’s run-out at 65. Arachchige continued to rally with Nimesh Vimukthi, yet another run-out curtailed Sri Lanka’s resurgence, limiting them to 133/7.
Sediqullah’s incredible form made him the tournament’s highest scorer, amassing 368 runs in five matches.
His scores included 83, 95*, 52, 83, and an unbeaten 55 in the final, earning him the Player of the Series title.
Ghazanfar, whose spell decimated Sri Lanka’s top order, was awarded Man of the Match, while Sri Lanka’s Dushan Hemantha concluded the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets in five games.
Abdalyan’s decisive victory in Muscat not only secures Afghanistan A’s place as champions but cements Sediqullah’s status as a rising star in Asian cricket.
