Mohammad Nabi's game changing 65 off 32 balls came to nothing as Sri Lanka pulled off a thrilling two-run win over an audacious Afghanistan.
The match between Ireland and Namibia on Friday is now a shootout, and the winner will progress to the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha, who were named in the original squad, will not tour owing to injuries sustained during the SLC Invitational T20 League 2022.
Pakistan are traditionally good against spinners but Babar Azam and Co. would take the likes of promising Dunith Wellalage and company lightly at their peril.
Australia bundled out Sri Lanka for 212 but endured a top order wobble of their own before reaching 98/3 in reply after a frenetic, spin-dominated day one of the opening Test in Galle on Wednesday.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Sri Lanka and West Indies, in Abu Dhabi, on Thursday.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be eager to shake off modest ODI form and spate of injuries to key players as they seek to start their Asia Cup campaign on a winning note when they face each other in Pallekele on Thursday.
Opening batter Tim Seifert's blistering 88 helped New Zealand defeat Sri Lanka by four wickets in their thrilling third and final Twenty20 international in Queenstown on Saturday to complete a 2-1 series victory.
India will look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead when they face Sri Lanka in the second ODI
Dasun Shanaka led from the front with a scintillating half-century as Sri Lanka edged World champions Australia by four wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International to avoid a series whitewash, in Pallekele, on Saturday.
Images from Asia Cup Super 4s match played between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday.
With less than a month to go for the World Cup, Siraj said his spell in the Asia Cup Final would give him a lot of confidence heading into the mega event.
Innovative strokeplay from Glenn Maxwell (23) injected impetus into Australia's response, though it was Stoinis who delivered the knockout blow as spinner Wanindu Hasaranga conceded 53 runs in three overs without taking a wicket.
Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went past the legendary Kapil Dev's 434 Test scalps on Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday to become the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format of the game.
That Sri Lanka are having to play in the group stage of the Twenty20 World Cup shows the extent of their decline since winning the title in 2014 but their recent Asia Cup triumph suggests they could spring a surprise or two in Australia.
IMAGES from Asia Cup Super 4 match played between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo on Saturday.
'Lot of credit to the guys, they bowled very well in tandem, kept the pressure and never made it easier for the Sri Lanka batsmen. We just ensured we applied pressure from both ends.'
Mendis hit six fours and three sixes in his 29-ball knock and with some lusty hitting from Wanindu Hasaranga, who made an unbeaten 37 off 14 deliveries, helped Sri Lanka to a total of 188 for five from their 20 overs.
The return of old guards Rohit, Kohli and KL Rahul and also Shreyas Iyer will give India a huge boost as they eye the ODI series after clinching the T20Is against Sri Lanka.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, on Sunday.
Australia are on the cusp of a series victory in Sri Lanka and captain Pat Cummins believes the exposure to sub-continental conditions augurs well for their next big target of winning a Test series in India next year.
Coming off a socio-economic crisis and the worst turmoil in its country's history, the Sri Lankan cricket team would like to provide the island nation with an emotional catharsis by beating fancied Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Bangladesh?
A dominant Sri Lanka thrashed Oman by 10 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifier to climb to the top of Group B at the Queens Sports Club, in Bulawayo on Friday.
Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood minced no words in admitting that any team in the world would want a rampaging bowling attack like India.
India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead
The 18-member Sri Lanka Test squad, led by star batter Dimuth Karunaratne and featuring veterans such as Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal, checked in Dharamsala on Friday.
My main agenda is to bowl in powerplay, take early wickets, says Shivam Mavi
Sadeera Samarawickrama top-scored with an unbeaten 91 to power Sri Lanka to an easy five-wicket victory against the Netherlands.
David Miller's late cameo saw South Africa stage a late comeback to outclass Sri Lanka by four wickets in the Super 12 match at the T20 World Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Asia Cup 2023 Final played between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday.
Images from the T20 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
India's Suryakumar Yadav took over the No. 1 slot from Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, who was atop the scoring charts with 825 runs from 19 innings, and a superb average of 51.56.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Australia made heavy weather of a modest chase before beating Sri Lanka by three wickets in the second Twenty20 International on Wednesday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Images from the first T20 International between India and Sri Lanka, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Four franchises were involved in a bidding war with MI Cape Town making the initial move followed by Paarl Royals. However, towards the end it was Johannesburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who fought tooth and nail before the latter made a winning bid of R 9.2 million.
India racked up 199-2 riding blistering half-centuries by opener Ishan Kishan and number three batsman Shreyas Iyer.
"Ruturaj Gaikwad complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. He was unavailable for selection for the first T20I. The BCCI Medical Team is examining him," read a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Images from the Asia Cup Super 4 match between India and Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, September 12.
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