Sri Lanka scored 160 runs before getting all out with six balls left. Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran scored 67 not out in their reply. However, he didn’t receive much support, and the second-highest scorer, Karim Janat, managed only 20 runs at number seven before Pathirana dismissed him.
Pathirana, who is 21 years old, was named the man of the match in only his second T20 game. He made two quick dismissals that left Afghanistan 11 runs short by the end of the second-to-last over.
“The game was hanging in the balance,” he said. “I was trying to turn the game in our favour and I thought I did the job for the team.”
Afghan bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets, causing Sri Lanka to collapse in the late innings.
Sri Lanka was in a good position at 146-5 in the last four overs, but then lost the last five wickets for just 14 runs in 25 deliveries. Captain Wanindu Hasaranga, who promoted himself to number six, was the top scorer with 67, forming a 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Hasaranga achieved his second T20 half-century in 24 deliveries with a stylish boundary through extra cover off Qais Ahmed. However, the partnership ended when Samarawickrama was run out with a direct hit from Ibrahim Zadran. Soon after, Hasaranga got out, caught by Ibrahim Zadran off Naveen-ul-Haq.
Sri Lanka won the only Test of the tour and dominated the ODI series against Afghanistan, winning 3-0. The remaining two T20 matches of the series will be held in Dambulla on Monday and Wednesday.
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