Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara struck back-to-back wickets to put Afghanistan on the back foot in their Asia Cup 2025 clash on September 18. Afghanistan, having won the toss, opted to bat first at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Thushara made an immediate impact by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz on the first ball of his over, setting the tone for his spell. On the last ball of the same over, he bowled a brilliant delivery to remove Karim Janat, who had been promoted up the batting order.
Thushara
delivered a well-pitched, good-length ball that landed around off and middle and swung away sharply. Janat, caught at the crease, failed to adjust to the out swinger, and the ball crashed into the off-stump. Thushara’s precise line and movement troubled the Afghan batter, and his early breakthroughs shifted momentum in Sri Lanka’s favour, giving the team a solid platform to build their bowling attack.
