Sunrisers suffered a horrible system failure on the biggest stage of all as they collapsed to a miserable 113 all out in 18.3 overs after choosing to bat first and Venkatesh Iyer’s 52* from just 26 balls (4×4, 3×6) led KKR to 114-2 in just 10.3 overs to conclude a well-deserved third title.

Kolkata bowled out Sunrisers for 113, a total they overhauled with 9.3 overs to spare as Venkatesh Iyer hammered an unbeaten 52 in Chennai.

Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz anchored the run-chase with 39 from 32 balls after the early dismissal of Sunil Narine (6) allowing Iyer to crash his team to victory in the company of captain, Shreyas Iyer (6*).

KKR delivered a stunning bowling and fielding performance led by league’s most expensive player, Mitchell Starc, who struck in the first over bowling Abhishek Sharma (2) with a brute of an away-swinger before finishing with 2-14 from just three overs.

The Knight Riders were the outstanding team throughout the league stage of the tournament, comfortably finishing top of the standings with nine wins and just three losses from their 14 matches finishing three points clear of the Sunrisers in second place.

In the first Qualifier Match between the two teams KKR prevailed by eight wickets to secure direct passage to the final while the Sunrisers took the ‘difficult’ route by beating the Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs in the second Eliminator Match.

Despite an awkward pitch it was a mere formality for the Knight Riders to clinch their third IPL title with Venkatesh clipping, whipping and driving boundaries seemingly at will.

Battling blitz

This match was the last act of this year’s IPL, which turned out to be a campaign where batters dominated like never before.

The batting blitz however, in the Indian Premier League this year, has divided fans and players and triggered debate ahead of the World Cup about what it means for Twenty20 cricket.

Sunrisers Hyderabad twice broke the IPL scoring record this year with innings of 277 and 287.

Veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon told AFP the big scores in the IPL over the past two months were taking something away from the game.

“People love to watch sixes and fours,” Memon said.

“But beyond that they also like a good contest.”

The impact player rule – and smarter use of it – has been pinpointed as the biggest reason for the skyscraper totals in the 17th edition of the IPL.

It will not be in play at the World Cup, which begins on Saturday in the United States and West Indies.

The concept was introduced last year in the IPL and allows the replacement of a player named in the starting team at any point after the toss.

The rule allows teams batting first to play an extra big-hitting batsman down the order, who can then be replaced by a bowler when they field.

Alternatively, a bowler can be replaced if they bat second.
Opponents of the rule say it has upset the fine balance between batter and bowler that gives cricket its drama.

Flatter IPL pitches and shorter boundaries have also played a part, pundits say.

Bowlers have found it particularly tough to stop the batting onslaught in the first six overs of powerplay when only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle.

“If it gets too lopsided in favor of batsmen because of the nature of pitches and shorter boundaries, then it can get a little predictable – in that the bowlers have a reduced role,” Memon said.

He noted that even Virat Kohli – who leads the tournament batting charts with 741 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru – said “there needs to be a balance between bat and ball”.

Young stars including Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals) and England’s Will Jacks (Bengaluru) have made hay in this IPL with punishing strike rates of over 234 and 175 respectively.

India’s premier spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin says pinning the big innings this season solely on the impact of sub rule is doing batsmen a disservice.

“Even if the impact player rule wasn’t there, scores would be this high,” Ashwin, of Rajasthan Royals, was quoted saying this week.”In my opinion, batters have more confidence and pitches everywhere have been standardised.”

He added: “In the future, all bowlers will need to be hitters because we know that no matter how well we bowl, we also need to be able to bat.

“The game is headed in that direction.”

But many players and pundits say it is too early to say whether the big-hitting trend will extend to T20 cricket beyond this IPL.

Australia’s veteran opening batsman David Warner does not foresee a run-fest at the World Cup, and not just because there will be no impact sub rule.

Warner says the pitches in the West Indies in particular will have something for the bowlers.

“They can be slower and they’re gonna turn a bit,” Warner, 37, told reporters last month, leaning on his experience in the Caribbean Premier League.

He added: “It’s gonna be completely different there. Add the natural elements as well. They’re going to be predominantly day games, I think, because of the timings.

“So that plays a big factor,” Warner said.

What’s next

After wrapping up IPL, Ariana Television Network (ATN) will proudly broadcast the T20 World Cup 2024 exclusively on Ariana Television.

For more details on the upcoming event be sure to stay tuned and watch this space.

The ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be a 20-team event, will get underway on Saturday – much to the joy of cricket enthusiasts around the world.

Fans in Afghanistan will also be treated to the event as Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured the rights to broadcast matches live and exclusively in the country.

The World Cup will take place in the USA and Caribbean from June 1 to June 29.

So far, all teams have finalized their squads after Pakistan announced their two days ago.
Squads are listed below:

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

Canada: Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyankhan Pathan, Shreyas Movva. Reserves: Tajinder Singh, Aaditya Varadharajan, Ammar Khalid, Jatinder Matharu, Parveen Kumar

England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young

Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut

Nepal: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Traveling reserve: Ryan Klein

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Oman: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail. Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra

Papua New Guinea: Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

Scotland: Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka. Traveling Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage.

Uganda: Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel. Traveling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

United States: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.

West Indies: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

Broadcasting news!

Ariana Television Network (ATN) announced this week that it has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s T20 World Cup in Afghanistan.

News, updates and information on the event will be published regularly on Ariana News website and digital platforms so be sure to stay tuned.

Afghanistan’ national futsal team has been placed in Group C of the 2024 World Cup along with Argentina, Ukraine, and Angola.

It happened following the draw of the 10th edition of the Futsal World Cup 2024 on Sunday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The 2024 Futsal World Cup will begin in mid-September with the participation of 24 teams.

This is the first time that Afghanistan have qualified for futsal world cup.

Afghanistan will face Angola in their first match of the tournament on September 15.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) meanwhile announced last week it has secured the rights to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024 from September 14 to October 16.

As such, futsal fans across Afghanistan will be treated to all matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

This is yet another feather in ATN’s broadcasting cap, as the media company strives to bring as many top-rated international sporting events into the homes of its loyal viewers.

For more information on this World Cup be sure to watch this space as Ariana News will keep fans updated on the latest news around the event.