Afghanistan were on the verge of a historic milestone in Cardiff, seeking only their second World Cup win and their first ever against a Test nation. They looked poised for victory after restricting Sri Lanka to 201, but the weather intervened. Tasked with a revised goal of 187 runs from 41 overs, their batting lineup failed them once again, falling for 152. For Sri Lanka, this result provided a much-needed morale boost following a crushing 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in their opening match.
The game reached its breaking point when captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored a direct hit to run out Najibullah, effectively sealing Afghanistan's fate with only one wicket remaining.
Sri Lanka initially dominated the match, racing to 144 for one against an Afghan team that had previously struggled in a heavy defeat to Australia in their first game.
However, the innings took a sharp turn when Sri Lanka collapsed, losing nine wickets for a mere 57 runs; this slump was highlighted by Mohammad Nabi's brilliance, taking three wickets in just five deliveries.
The proceedings were halted when rain swept across the field, leaving Sri Lanka's score at 182-8 at the time of the interruption.
Despite having soundly defeated Sri Lanka in the previous year's Asia Cup in the UAE, Afghanistan found themselves struggling in their second World Cup appearance, with their batting failing them for the second consecutive game of the tournament.