Afghanistan’s A team returned to Kabul on Tuesday to a hero’s welcome after clinching the ACC Men’s Emerging T20 Asia Cup title, marking a historic achievement for Afghan cricket.
“After winning the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Asia Cup 2024, the AfghanAbdalyan returned home this morning and were warmly welcomed at Kabul Airport and the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced.
The second-string squad, Afghanistan A, claimed their first-ever ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup title with a decisive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka A. Chasing a target of 134 runs, Afghanistan’s pursuit was led by opener Sediqullah Atal, whose composed 55 off 55 balls steered the team to victory in just 18.1 overs.
Afghanistan’s bowlers set the tone early, with Allah Gul Ghazanfar and Bilal Sami each taking two wickets in the powerplay, restricting Sri Lanka A to 133 runs all out. Despite an early setback when Zubair Akbari was dismissed on the first ball, Atal stabilized the innings with support from Darwish Rasoli, followed by Karim Janat, who added a brisk 33 off 27 balls to secure the win.
Atal’s exceptional performance throughout the tournament earned him the title of Player of the Tournament, amassing an impressive 368 runs.
