"Afghan muscles wasted coz basic information wasn't passed" - Fans react after Afghanistan get eliminated from Asia Cup 2023 due to miscalculation

Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by two runs in the final group match of Asia Cup 2023 on Tuesday, September 5, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Courtesy of the win, Sri Lanka advanced to the Super Four stage of the tournament while Afghanistan faced elimination.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to bat first in the contest. Kusal Mendis (92) played a brilliant knock in the top order and helped Sri Lanka reach 291/8 in 50 overs. A couple of other players got starts but could not convert them. Gulbadin Naib scalped four wickets for Afghanistan in the bowling department.

In response, Rahmat Shah (45), Hashmatullah Shahidi (59), and Mohammad Nabi (65) contributed to the Afghan side in the middle-order to preserve their hopes of staying alive in the tournament. Rashid Khan (27*) also played a cameo in the end, but his partners could not keep him company. As a result, Afghanistan got bundled out for 289 in 37.4 overs.

Fans expressed their empathy for Afghanistan after they put up a tremendous fight before losing the match due to miscalculation. Here are some of the best reactions:

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"We fought well but could not get over the line" - Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi on the loss to Sri Lanka

At the post-match presentation on Saturday, Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi reflected on the loss and said:

"Very disappointed at the moment. We fought well but could not get over the line. I am proud of the way we played today, especially the way we batted towards the end. I think we have played well in the last couple of years in this format of the game.

He added:

"We are still learning and have to get up to the mark. We had a lot of positives in this tournament. We are quite close to the World Cup and will have to employ the learnings we had in this tournament. We are thankful for all the support that we have received. I am sorry that we could not qualify for the Super Four stage."

The Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2023 will commence on September 6, with the clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Lahore.