International Sports
Pollard becomes 2nd cricketer after Gayle to hit over 900 sixes in T20s
Former West Indies captain Kieron Pollard became the second player after Chris Gayle to smash 900 or more sixes in the history of T20 cricket during his ILT20 clash for MI Emirates against Desert Vipers on Thursday.
Pollard slammed 36 runs from 23 balls in a knock that featured two fours and three sixes.
Pollard had 898 maximums to his name in 689 matches in a T20 career that began in 2006. He got to the 900 mark with a huge six off Lockie Ferguson in the 19th over of the first innings of the clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
Notably, Gayle has hit 1056 sixes and leads the tally by a handsome margin.
While he was dismissed on 36, Pollard’s knock helped MI rack up a competitive score of 159/6. However, the target was not enough. Fakhar Zaman led the run-chase alongside Alex Hales as they put up an opening partnership of 62 before the latter was cleaned up by Waqar Salamkheil for 34. Fakhar smashed 67 and was the cornerstone of the chase. Sam Curran and Sherfane Rutherford stepped up later with scores of 28 and 21, respectively, to help the Vipers win by five wickets with five balls to spare.
The defending Emirates have only one win in their first three matches, while the Deserts are unbeaten after three outings in the tournament.
Friday’s match
Sharjah Warriorz will take on Dubai Capitals on Friday. The match will be broadcast live on Ariana Television from 7pm. The pre-match show will start at 6.30pm Kabul time.
The full broadcasting schedule is as below.
England batter Jordan Cox struck an unbeaten 61 as defending champions Dubai Capitals secured a six-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriorz to book their place in the International League T20 play-offs.
Cox’s 50-ball knock included six boundaries and a six, helping Capitals chase down a target of 135 with five deliveries remaining. Opener Shayan Jahangir also played a key role, scoring 51 from 39 balls.
Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi were both removed by Sikandar Raza, while Leus du Plooy departed cheaply, leaving Capitals at 114-4 in the 18th over. Cox then took charge to guide his team to victory.
Earlier, Sharjah Warriorz posted 134-8 from their allotted 20 overs, with West Indies batter Johnson Charles top-scoring with 43.
The Warriorz remain in contention for the final play-off spot alongside Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Meanwhile, Dubai Capitals can still finish second in the standings, giving them two opportunities to qualify for the final on 4 January.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Ariana Television tomorrow, Friday, December 26, from 7pm.
International Sports
Ariana News to broadcast key AFC Champions League Two clash
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Iraq’s Al-Zawraa in a crucial AFC Champions League Two group-stage encounter tomorrow, Wednesday December 24, as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the competition.
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
With a squad packed with international stars and attacking depth, the Saudi club will be targeting another positive result to move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.
Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq’s most successful clubs, arrive determined to bounce back and keep their continental hopes alive.
Known for their discipline and resilience, the Baghdad-based side will be looking to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on any opportunities on the counterattack.
The encounter is expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region, as the AFC Champions League Two continues to showcase competitive clashes between leading clubs.
The match will be broadcast across Afghanistan live and exclusively on Ariana News from 8:30pm.
The Dubai Capitals secured a crucial six-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, climbing to second place in the ILT20 standings and handing the Giants a fourth straight defeat.
Mustafizur Rahman starred with the ball, taking three wickets in a decisive over to help restrict the Giants to 156 all out, despite solid knocks from Azmatullah Omarzai (43) and James Vince (36).
In reply, Shayan Jahangir’s steady 48 and an unbeaten 47 from Rovman Powell guided the Capitals to victory with four balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi added a quick 25 not out to seal the chase.
In Dubai, MI Emirates continued their strong form with a composed four-wicket win over table-toppers Desert Vipers, registering their third consecutive victory of the season.
Shakib Al Hasan delivered an outstanding all-round performance, claiming 2 for 14 to limit the Vipers to 124 before anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 17. Kieron Pollard’s brisk 26 swung the momentum decisively as MI Emirates reached the target with 15 balls remaining.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and MI Emirates on Ariana Television today, Monday, December 22, from 2pm.
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