Sport
Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni’s 400th T20
Fast bowler Harshal Patel grabbed four wickets and Kamindu Mendis showed his allround skill as Sunrisers Hyderabad upstaged Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in Chennai on Friday.
Patel grabbed 4-28 and was ably assisted by skipper Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat — both finishing with identical figures of 2-21 — to dismiss the home team for a below-par 154 in 19.5 overs.
South African youngster Dewald Brevis was the top scorer for the Kings with a blistering 25-ball 42, cracking four sixes and a boundary on his debut for the franchise.
Skipper M.S. Dhoni failed to make his 400th T20 a memorable occasion, managing just six runs and coming out on the losing side.
Sunrisers achieved the target in 18.4 overs for the loss of five wickets with Ishan Kishan leading the way with a solid 34-ball 44 with five boundaries and a six.
Mendis struck an unbeaten 32 off 22 balls, adding 49 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy who finished with a 13-ball 19 not out.
The victory lifted Sunrisers to eighth on the 10-team table topped by Gujrat Titans with 12 points in eight matches while five-time champions Kings are at the bottom with four points in nine.
Patel, declared man-of-the-match, attributed discipline as the key for his fine bowling.
“I figured out pretty early that hitting it on a good length around the stumps was important because it was hard to hit with the horizontal bat,” said Patel.
Dhoni blamed losing a cluster of wickets for the poor batting show.
“I think we kept losing wickets and another thing is in the first innings the wicket was slightly better,” said Dhoni. “A total of 157 wasn’t a justifiable score.”
Earlier, Chennai Super Kings were rocked by Sunrisers’s pacer Patel who ripped through the middle and lower-order batting.
The home team started on a wrong note when opener Shaik Rasheed was caught in the slip off the very first delivery of the match by fast bowler Mohammad Shami.
Seventee-year-old Ayush Mhatre was impressive in his 19-ball 30, which was studded with six boundaries, while Ravindra Jadeja managed 21 with a six and a boundary.
Jadeja’s dismissal brought Dhoni to the crease as the crowd roared to welcome their hero in his 400th T20 match but Dhoni’s stay lasted for just ten balls.
It was Brevis who assured Kings get past 150 with some lusty hitting.
Deepak Hooda also chipped in with a 21-ball 22 with a six and a boundary.
Sport
Japan, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan qualify for FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026
Japan, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan have secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 after strong performances at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.
The three Asian sides join hosts Qatar as confirmed representatives from the Asian Football Confederation for the expanded 48-team tournament later this year.
Japan booked their place after defeating Qatar and then beating China 2-1 in Group B. Anthony Motosuna and Maki Kitahara scored the goals that sealed a second straight victory and guaranteed qualification.
Saudi Arabia also advanced from Group A after a 2-0 win over Thailand. Marwan Al Yami opened the scoring early before Hassan Al Okrush added a late second goal, giving the Saudis six points from two matches following their opening win against Myanmar.
Tajikistan joined them after edging Myanmar 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Asadbek Makhtumov. The victory followed Tajikistan’s opening 2-0 win over Thailand and secured their place in Qatar 2026.
More teams could qualify on Sunday as the second round of matches in Groups C and D continues, with the final group-stage fixtures set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sport
Afghan cricket delegation travels to China for technical cooperation
A delegation from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has traveled to China following an official invitation from the Chinese government, in a move aimed at strengthening sports diplomacy and expanding technical cooperation in cricket between the two countries.
The delegation includes national coach Nawroz Mangal and players Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Faisal Shinozada, and Wahidullah Zadran.
Before their departure, ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan met with the delegation, reaffirming the board’s commitment to developing and globalizing Afghan cricket. He also referenced previous international engagement efforts, including a memorandum of understanding signed with the Uzbekistan Cricket Federation focused on cricket development and technical collaboration.
Naseeb Khan highlighted existing economic and industrial ties between Afghanistan and China, expressing optimism that sports cooperation—particularly in cricket—could further strengthen bilateral relations. He emphasized that knowledge-sharing, technical exchange, and joint development initiatives would support the growth of the sport in both countries.
During their visit, the Afghan delegation is expected to hold discussions on cricket development, community engagement, and the role of sport in society. The program also includes participation in workshops, attendance at a cricket match organized by Chinese cricket authorities, and visits to sports technology and innovation exhibitions.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has increasingly pursued regional partnerships in recent years. Last year, it signed a cooperation agreement with the Uzbekistan Cricket Federation covering technical exchange, capacity building, development programs, and educational workshops aimed at expanding cricket infrastructure and expertise in the region.
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