Asia Cup 2018: Match 3, Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan – Statistical Highlights

The defending champions of the Asia Cup (ODI format) became the first team to be knockout of the 2018 Asia Cup after losing to Bangladesh and Afghanistan in successive matches. Afghanistan, who batted first, finished on 249 in their 50 overs banking on their top-order efforts. They were cruising at 190/3 but could only add 59 runs in the final nine overs for the loss of seven wickets. Sri Lankans failed to get going against the Afghanistan spinners and were bundled out for just 158 runs.

All the major stats and numbers recorded during Sri Lanka’s early exit from Asia Cup:

1 – This was Afghanistan’s first win in International cricket against Sri Lanka and their 6th win in 20 ODI matches against top nine ODI countries. (3 vs WI, 2 vs BAN, 1 vs SL)

2 – Afghanistan’s innings was the 2nd instance in the 50-overs format where their batsmen had three fifty-run partnerships for the first four wickets. The first such instance came during the ODI series in Noida against Ireland in 2017.

5/55 – Thisara Perera’s five-wicket haul is only the second to be on the losing side in the Asia Cup. Sohail Tanvir had figures of 5/48 against Sri Lanka during the 2008 edition. Lasith Malinga’s 4/23 in the opening match against Bangladesh stood as the second-best figures on the losing side in Asia Cup prior to Perera’s heroics.

6.11 – Thisara Perera’s economy rate of 6.11 is the highest during a 5-wicket haul in the Asia Cup. Malinga had an economy of 5.6 during his 5/56 during the 2014 final against Pakistan.

17y 173d – Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the 2nd youngest to take a wicket in the history of Asia Cup behind Shahid Afridi. The former Pakistan all-rounder was 17 years and 135 years old when he claimed his first wicket in Asia Cup in 1997 also against Sri Lanka.

Mujeeb is also the youngest to open the bowling in an Asia Cup game as the previous youngest to do was Bangladesh’s Hasibul Hasan at 17 years and 307 days in the 1995 edition also against the Lankans.

29 – Lasith Malinga has conceded 60 and more runs in an ODI game on 29 occasions. These are the most number of times a bowler conceded 60+ runs in an ODI. New Zealand’s Tim Southee also conceded 60+ runs in an ODI on 29 instances.

104 – Lasith Malinga completed 500 runs in his ODI career with the first run in this game. He got to the milestone in his 104th innings; the 2nd slowest. The former Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan completed 500 ODI runs in 136 outings.

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