AP, Kolkata :
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan struck an unbeaten 83 to help Sri Lanka open its title defense by beating Afghanistan by six wickets in their World Twenty20 Group 1 game in kolkata on Thursday.
Dilshan struck eight fours and three sixes off 56 balls to guide Sri Lanka to 155-4 in reply to Afghanistan’s 153-7.
Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal (18) combined to open with 41 off 5.2 overs but Sri Lanka struggled to build big partnerships.
Having won just four T20s and lost 10 since winning the World Twenty20 at Dhaka two years ago, Sri Lanka could have had a harder time but Afghanistan conceded some easy runs with misfields.
The match seemed poised for a closer end after an off-color display by the Sri Lanka middle order, but captain Angelo Mathews joined Dilshan and they ensured a smooth ending with seven balls to spare.
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan struck an unbeaten 83 to help Sri Lanka open its title defense by beating Afghanistan by six wickets in their World Twenty20 Group 1 game in kolkata on Thursday.
Dilshan struck eight fours and three sixes off 56 balls to guide Sri Lanka to 155-4 in reply to Afghanistan’s 153-7.
Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal (18) combined to open with 41 off 5.2 overs but Sri Lanka struggled to build big partnerships.
Having won just four T20s and lost 10 since winning the World Twenty20 at Dhaka two years ago, Sri Lanka could have had a harder time but Afghanistan conceded some easy runs with misfields.
The match seemed poised for a closer end after an off-color display by the Sri Lanka middle order, but captain Angelo Mathews joined Dilshan and they ensured a smooth ending with seven balls to spare.
