Sport

Punjab, Lucknow boost IPL play-off hopes, Delhi out

Published

3 years ago

May 14, 2023

Opener Prabhsimran Singh hit his maiden IPL century to set up a 31-run win for Punjab Kings and push Delhi Capitals out of the play-off race on Saturday, while Lucknow Super Giants beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets.

Sunrisers batsman Heinrich Klaasen was docked 10 percent of his match fee for showing dissent after a controversial no-ball call that sparked the home crowd to shout abuse at the Lucknow dug-out.

The match was briefly stopped as the umpires spoke to the Lucknow bench, including an animated coach Andy Flower, whose team moved back into the top four, AFP reported

In the second game of the day, Punjab kept their play-off hopes alive after Prabhsimran hit 103 off 65 balls and guided his team to 167-7.

Harpreet Brar then returned figures of 4-30 with his left-arm spin as Delhi suffered a collapse to end on 136-8 despite a strong start from skipper David Warner, who hit 54 off 27 balls.

“The way we brought the game back was amazing,” Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan said. “Credit goes to the spinners and then the fast bowlers for closing it out.”

Punjab moved to sixth in the 10-team table led by holders Gujarat Titans. Delhi remain bottom of the heap and are out of the running.

Warner seemed to have taken the game away with his power hitting but Brar led the spin charge, removing Phil Salt for 21 as Delhi slipped from 69-0 to 88-6.

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar joined in to trap Mitchell Marsh lbw before Brar struck twice in an over to dismiss Rilee Rossouw and Warner, who registered his 60th IPL fifty.

Warner said his team had “found the right combination” during the tournament after a nightmare start.

In Hyderabad, Indian batsman Prerak Mankad’s 64 and a series of key partnerships including an unbeaten 58-run stand with Nicholas Pooran, who hit a 13-ball 44, steered the team’s successful chase of 183 with four balls to spare.

Mankad first set the pace with a 73-run partnership with Marcus Stoinis, who hit a 25-ball 40.

Mankad raced to his maiden IPL fifty before West Indies international Pooran smashed three consecutive sixes in a 31-run over to start his sparkling innings.

Earlier, Hyderabad’s Abdul Samad, who hit an unbeaten 37 in a 58-run stand with Klaasen, received a waist-high delivery that was called a no-ball by the on-field umpire but overturned on review.

The delivery appeared to be above the batsman’s waist but the review went in Lucknow’s favor, canceling out the run and the free hit, with the home crowd venting their anger.

“Disappointed by the crowd to be honest, that’s not what you want,” said Klaasen after his 29-ball knock.

“That also broke the momentum, not great umpiring either, but you can’t take matters in your own hands.”

Sport

Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update

It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.

Published

5 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.

Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.

It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.

It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Sport

Omar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL

Published

1 day ago

November 10, 2026

Ariana News

Omar Zawak secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Istiqlal Kabul in the 80th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan, delivering an impressive attacking performance.

The match was played in Kabul on Tuesday. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended goalless.

However, Omar Zawak stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, scoring five goals to take control of the match. Istiqlal Kabul managed to score just once as Omar Zawak sealed a convincing 5-1 victory.

Omar Zawak will face Ariana Khost in their next match on November 12, while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Aino Mina Kandahar on the same day.

All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.

Sport

First Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw

Published

2 days ago

November 9, 2026

Ariana News

Zimbabwe produced a remarkable batting display to secure a draw against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah, with Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere scoring unbeaten centuries on the final day.

Resuming the fifth and final day at 164/3, Zimbabwe finished on 523/5 in their second innings, following their first-innings total of 504. This marked the first time in Test cricket history that a team has scored more than 500 runs in both innings of a match.

Craig Ervine remained unbeaten on 206, while Madhevere scored 100 not out, as the pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout the day.

Ervine, aged 41 years and 82 days, became the third-oldest player to score a double century in Test cricket.

Afghanistan had posted 514 in their first innings. Afghanistan needed early wickets to put pressure on the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s batters showed patience and discipline on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.

Brian Bennett scored a half-century before Mohammad Saleem dismissed him, while debutant Antum Naqvi contributed 61 runs. Naqvi and Ervine shared a 140-run partnership before Abdul Malik broke the stand.

However, Madhevere joined Ervine and the pair put together an unbeaten 208-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest for that wicket in Zimbabwe’s Test history. Madhevere also registered his maiden Test century during the partnership.

The result leaves the two sides level heading into the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on November 13.