Sport
All the records Rohit Sharma broke during astonishing World Cup innings
Standing records never stood a chance in front of Rohit Sharma on Wednesday at the Cricket World Cup, as he led his side to a comfortable win over Afghanistan in Delhi.
Rohit blazed 131 in just 84 balls as his team sauntered past Afghanistan’s 272, eventually winning with 90 balls to spare.
In his trademark mix of brash and balance at the crease, the skipper blazed 16 fours and five sixes, completely dictating terms at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi would have been excused for thinking he was a man short in the middle, as Sharma toyed with his opposition’s field-sets and bowling.
Virat Kohli (55) and Shreyas Iyer (25) finished the chase, earlier set up by the opening partnership of Rohit and Ishan Kishan (47), who put on 156 in 18.4 overs.
Rashid Khan (2/57 off eight overs) was the only bowler to make any headway for Afghanistan, with four of his teammates going for eight an over or more.
Rohit claimed unanimous Player of the Match honors, as India joined New Zealand and Pakistan as teams to start two from two at the tournament.
Reaching his century in just 63 balls, Rohit smashed the fastest century by an India player at a Cricket World Cup, breaking a 40 year record set by the legendary Kapil Dev 40 years ago.
Dev reached his hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe at the Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells, England – the venue’s only ever ODI. Dev eventually made 175* from 138 balls with 22 boundaries.
Rohit has gone clear of compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with seven Cricket World Cup centuries.
Incredibly, Rohit has achieved the record in just 19 innings and across in only three World Cup campaigns, in comparison to Tendulkar’s 44 innings.
But it will be tough going to reach Tendulkar’s record for the most runs at Cricket World Cups of 2,278 at an average 56.95, though Rohit boasts a superior average of 65.23 which is also the highest among players to reach four figures across the tournaments.
Rohit joined a fellow tearaway opener in David Warner as the joint-fastest batters to reach 1,000 Cricket World Cup runs, doing so in just 19 innings.
Warner reached the milestone when India and Australia met in Chennai earlier in the tournament.
Rohit is the only Cricket World Cup 2023 captain to score a century to this point of the tournament.
Making his 31st ODI hundred, Rohit overtook Ricky Ponting in third place in the total ODI century list.
Only Kohli (47) and Tendulkar (49) stand above Rohit after the Delhi knock.
The five sixes Rohit struck in Delhi moved him to 556 sixes across the three formats of international cricket, passing the previous record-holder in the category, Chris Gayle.
Rohit managed to pass the West Indies opener in almost 80 fewer innings across formats (472).
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
Sport
2nd ODI: India crush Afghanistan by 170 runs to seal series lead
The Indian national cricket team registered a dominant 170-run victory over Afghanistan in the second One Day International, delivering a commanding all-round performance.
Batting first, India piled up 402 all out in 49.5 overs, setting a daunting 403-run target for Afghanistan.
In reply, Afghanistan were never able to settle into the chase and were eventually bowled out for 232 in 44.3 overs, falling well short of the required total.
India’s innings was powered by a sensational top-order display. Shubman Gill led the charge with a brilliant 154 off 110 balls, striking 22 fours and 2 sixes, while Ishan Kishan lit up the innings with a rapid 125 off 79 deliveries, smashing 14 fours and 7 sixes. The duo laid the foundation for a massive total.
Afghanistan’s bowling effort saw some resistance from Rashid Khan, who picked up 3 wickets, but lacked support from the other end.
Set under pressure from the outset, Afghanistan’s batting lineup failed to build partnerships and was unable to sustain the required run rate against disciplined Indian bowling.
The match was played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where India’s dominant performance secured a comfortable win and momentum in the series.
Afghanistan had also lost the opening ODI by 7 wickets, giving India a strong 2–0 position in the series.
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