|| CF DESK ||

Afghanistan ‘A’, who are also known as Afghanistan Abdalyan, got letter marks in the second semi-final of the Emerging Asia Cup against India ‘A’ as they beat India by 20 runs to set the Final against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Zubaid Akbari and Sediqullah Atal scored 64 and 83 respectively in a 137-run first wicket partnership to help Afghanistan A post 206/4, the highest score in this edition of the tournament.

India A’s chase began with promise but stumbled as Afghanistan’s bowlers held their nerve. Ramandeep Singh top-scored with a rapid 64 off 34 balls, keeping India in the hunt until the final overs.

Ayush Badoni (31 off 24) and Nishant Sindhu (23 off 13) provided valuable contributions, but Afghanistan A’s disciplined bowling, especially from AM Ghazanfar (2/14) and Abdul Rahman (2/32), restricted India A to 186/7 in 20 overs.

With this win, Afghanistan A will face Sri Lanka A in the Final, setting the stage for an exciting showdown.

Atal was awarded Player of the Match for his standout 83-run knock, which laid the foundation for Afghanistan’s commanding total.