Sport
Van der Dussen steers South Africa to victory as Afghanistan exit World Cup
Rassie van der Dussen hit an unbeaten 76 to lead South Africa to a comfortable five-wicket win over Afghanistan in their last World Cup group game on Friday as their opponents were eliminated from the semi-final race.
Chasing 245 for victory, Van der Dussen steered the Proteas home with 15 balls to spare in a tune-up for their semi-final against Australia next week, AFP reported.
Azmatullah Omarzai hit an unbeaten 97 to guide Afghanistan to 244 all out in a match where they needed an unlikely 438-run win to make the last four.
New Zealand look all set to meet hosts India in the other semi-final unless Pakistan pull off a huge win against England on Saturday.
Playing for pride, Afghanistan’s spinners checked South Africa’s strong start of 64-0 after Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed skipper Temba Bavuma for 23 and fellow spinner Mohammad Nabi trapped Quinton de Kock lbw on 41.
Bavuma’s hamstring troubled him throughout the match while fielding and batting in a worrying sign ahead of their semi-final.
De Kock, who will quit one-day internationals when this World Cup is over, overtook New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra (565) to reclaim his top spot in the tournament batting chart with 591 runs including four centuries.
The Proteas put their chase back on track in a third-wicket stand of 50 but leg-spinner Rashid Khan broke through with the wicket of Aiden Markram for 25.
South Africa looked in trouble when Rashid bowled Heinrich Klaasen for 10 but Van der Dussen stood firm to build partnerships including an unbeaten 65-run stand with Andile Phehlukwayo, who hit the winning six in an unbeaten 39.
Earlier Afghanistan slipped to 116-6 before Azmatullah hit his ODI best to lift the team to a competitive total.
South Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee took four wickets while spinner Keshav Maharaj returned impressive figures of 2-25.
De Kock played a key part with his six wicketkeeping dismissals to equal a World Cup record of Australia’s Adam Gilchrist (v Namibia – Potchefstroom, 2003) and Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed (v South Africa – Auckland, 2015).
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran started aggressively before Maharaj struck with his first ball to have Gurbaz caught for 25.
Coetzee sent back Ibrahim in the next over to check the batting surge and Afghanistan slipped from 41-0 to 45-3 when Maharaj had skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi caught behind for two.
Afghanistan lost three more wickets to be in danger of getting bowled out in less than their quota of 50 overs but Azmatullah stood firm to play out the innings.
Afghanistan, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, ended a strong campaign after they beat defending champions England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
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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