Sport
Rashid to take ‘one game at a time’ ahead of T20 World Cup opening match against Uganda
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan intends to take it one game at a time in the team’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, which will get underway on Tuesday in the West Indies.
Given their arsenal of high-class spin bowlers and the improvement in Afghanistan’s batting in recent years, many have touted the Asian side as one of the teams capable of making it to the semi-finals of this year’s T20 World Cup.
While appreciative of these predictions, Rashid said he wants to focus on the cricketing action. Rashid said it was a big honor for the team to be seen as one of the favorites to make the semi-finals.
“They have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis,” Rashid said. “We take that as a very positive sign.”
He also said looking back at his team’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign in India last year, the players believe that nothing was impossible for them as a side.
In last year’s tournament, Afghanistan defeated the likes of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England, and ran eventual champions Australia close.
“But for us, we don’t look to those things a lot. It’s all about how we’re going to be there in the ground, delivering. We were very near in the last World Cup as well to be in the semis.
“We were just one game away from being in the semis and that’s where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible for us as a team. So yeah, looking forward we are really excited about this World Cup. We take one game at a time and then see how it goes.”
Rashid was confident of Afghanistan’s groundwork prior to the tournament.
“I think preparation has been great so far. The way the guys have been prepared, and they had that preparation back home in Afghanistan,” he said.
“A couple of weeks back, we had a domestic T20 competition, which really helped them to get that kind of preparation they need as a player and as a team. And then we’re here two weeks earlier as well. So, we got that full preparation, what we wanted as a team.
“We’re just about focusing on one game at a time and making sure we do the right things and take the right decisions at the right time. That’s something I think is going to help us.
“And don’t think about the next round a lot. That’s something which is an extra pressure I feel like to be as a player.”
Afghanistan begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Uganda in Guyana. Both sides are in Group C of the competition along with West Indies, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
WATCH LIVE!
Ariana Television Network recently secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the exciting T20 World Cup 2024 live in Afghanistan.
Fans around the country can tune in on Wednesday morning, June 4, at 4:30 am to watch the pre-match show followed by the match which starts at 5am Kabul time.
Sport
IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan named Sunrisers’ interim captain ahead of opening clash
Kishan, 27, arrives at the leadership role on the back of strong recent form and growing stature in international cricket.
With just days to go before the curtain rises on the Indian Premier League 2026 season, anticipation is building among fans worldwide for what promises to be another high-octane edition of cricket’s most lucrative T20 competition.
The 2026 campaign is set to get underway on Saturday, March 28, meaning there are less than five days remaining until the opening match.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru, kicking off a tournament expected to deliver fresh rivalries, emerging stars, and dramatic finishes.
New leadership shift at Sunrisers
In one of the major developments ahead of the new season, Sunrisers Hyderabad—champions of the 2016 edition—have appointed Ishan Kishan as interim captain. The decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his recovery from injury and is set to miss the opening matches.
Kishan, 27, arrives at the leadership role on the back of strong recent form and growing stature in international cricket. The explosive left-handed batter was a key contributor to India’s victorious campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and has quickly become one of the most dynamic players in the shortest format.
He joined Sunrisers for INR 11.25 crore (about $1.2 million) during the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season and made an immediate impact.
Last season, Kishan scored 354 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35.40, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 152.58. He also announced himself in style with a blistering unbeaten 106 off just 47 deliveries in his debut match against Rajasthan Royals.
Young Indian talent Abhishek Sharma has been named vice-captain and will support Kishan in leading the side during the early phase of the tournament.
Opening clash and season expectations
Sunrisers face a tough start as they take on the defending champions RCB in the tournament opener, a match that is already generating significant buzz. With several teams undergoing squad reshuffles and strategic changes following recent auctions, IPL 2026 is expected to showcase a new competitive balance across franchises.
Broadcast details for Afghanistan
Fans in Afghanistan will be able to follow every moment of the action live, as Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament in the country. Matches will be aired live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Viewers are also encouraged to follow Ariana TV and Ariana News across social media platforms for the latest updates, breaking news, and in-depth coverage throughout the tournament.
The national buzkashi team of Afghanistan delivered an impressive performance to claim third place at the 2026 World Kokpar Championship in Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan dominated the group stage with commanding victories—thrashing Hungary 14–0, defeating Russia 5–0, and overcoming Mongolia 7–0—to top Group B and advance to the semi-finals.
Despite a strong effort, Afghanistan fell 4–2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals. However, the team responded emphatically in the third-place playoff, beating Russia 6–0 to secure the bronze medal.
Alongside their podium finish, Afghanistan was awarded 4,500,000 Kazakh tenge (around 9,400 US dollars) by the International Kokpar Federation, capping off a successful campaign on the global stage.
Ireland cricket officials have announced that they will host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series from August 5–14.
Other international teams including Australia and England have either cancelled or avoided scheduling bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021.
“Cricket Ireland has made a decision to play Afghanistan in Belfast this year,” CI chief executive Sarah Keane said on Friday. “I’m not going to fob you off by saying that there’s financial reasons and there’s legal reasons. There aren’t. This has been a decision by Cricket Ireland in what it believes is the best interest of the organisation as a whole, and the decision was made by the board this week.”
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