Asia Cup 2022: 3 records that were broken during Sri Lanka's stirring win over Afghanistan

Sri Lanka started the Super 4 stage of the 2022 Asia Cup on a winning note as they exacted revenge for their opening-round loss to Afghanistan.

The Dasun Shanaka-led unit beat Afghanistan by four wickets in a thrilling contest in Sharjah on Saturday (September 3).

After being asked to bat first, the Afghan side rode on the back of a brilliant knock by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 84 off just 45 balls. Sri Lankan bowlers pulled things back towards the end on the innings and restricted the opposition to 175/6.

Chasing 176, the Islanders batted with a lot of freedom and chased down the target with four wickets in hand. There were handy contributions from four Lankan batters, including Pathum Nissanka (35), Kusal Mendis (36), Danushka Gunathilaka (33), and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31). A poor fielding effort from Afghanistan also aided the Lankans in their triumph.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa's heroics seal the match for Sri Lanka in the opening match of the super 4️⃣ against Afghanistan 🔥🇱🇰

What a start to the 'Super 4️⃣' 🙌

#SriLanka #Afghanistan #AFGvSL #CricketTwitter #Asiacup2022 https://t.co/HiTWw0jejZ

With the win, Sri Lanka now have two points under their belt in the Super 4 stage with two games (against India and Pakistan) in hand.

This rip-roaring clash between the two Asian sides saw numerous milestones reached and many records tumble. Let's look at three of those records that were created during the exciting Asia Cup encounter.

#1 Sharjah Cricket Ground has now hosted the most number of men's international matches

Sharjah Cricket Ground has been an iconic stadium. [Pic Credit: Getty images]

The high-octane clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was the 281st men's international cricket game hosted by the Sharjah Cricket Ground. This is the most by any cricket stadium in the world, surpassing the record previously held by the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), with 280 men's international matches.

From 1980s to early 2000s, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium served as a regular venue for ODIs and was the scene of many memorable events in cricket history. The stadium in the United Arab Emirates has hosted 244 ODIs, nine Tests, and 28 T20Is so far.

Interestingly, the first-ever international game that was played in Sharjah was the inaugural match of the first Asia Cup in 1984, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

#2 Highest individual score in a T20 Asia Cup match

Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a terrific game against Sri Lanka [Pic Credit: Getty images]

Despite not ending up on the winning side, Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz was adjudged the Player of the Match due to his astounding batting exploits.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was awarded the player of the match for his sensational 84(45) against Sri Lanka 👏🇦🇫

Well deserved 🙌

#RahmanullahGurbaz #Afghanistan #AFGvSL #Asiacup2022 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/OeG1f1GGpk

The wicketkeeper-batsman clobbered four boundaries and six maximums during his 45-ball stay and scored 84. This is now the highest individual score by a batter in a T20I Asia Cup fixture. The 20-year-old went past Rohit Sharma's record, who had scored 83 against Bangladesh in 2016.

En route his brilliant 84, Gurbaz also registered the joint-fastest fifty by an Afghanistan batter in T20Is, reaching the milestone in just 22 balls. Hazratullah Zazai and Najibullah Zadran are the others to have scored a T20I fifty in 22 balls.

#3 Highest successful T20I run-chase against Afghanistan

Sri Lanka have recorded two record-breaking chases in their last two games

The exciting chase of 176 runs by Sri Lanka turned out to be a record-breaking affair. It marked the highest successful target chased down by any team against Afghanistan in T20Is. The previous record had been set only last month.

In a T20I encounter in Belfast in August, Ireland had successfully chased down 169 against Afghanistan.

What's more, Sri Lanka seem to be on a record-breaking spree. On Thursday, they completed the highest T20I run-chase ever in Dubai (184 against Bangladesh), and have now recorded the highest T20I run-chase in Sharjah (176 against Afghanistan).

Considered as underdogs coming into this tournament, the Lankan side has shown that they have great potential. Their performance against India and Pakistan in the coming days will be keenly watched.