Sport
Omarzai’s all-round brilliance leads Afghanistan to five-wicket win over Bangladesh in first ODI
Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance as Afghanistan clinched a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Omarzai first dismantled Bangladesh’s top order with three crucial wickets before contributing a brisk 40 off 44 balls to guide Afghanistan home in their chase of 222.
Afghanistan sealed the win in the 48th over, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi remaining unbeaten on 34. Veteran Mohammad Nabi finished the game in style, smashing Saif Hassan for a six to complete a confident run chase.
It was a day of milestones for the Afghan team. Rashid Khan became the first Afghan cricketer to reach 200 ODI wickets — achieving the feat in just 115 matches, making him the second-fastest spinner ever to do so. Meanwhile, Rahmat Shah crossed the 4,000-run mark in ODIs, becoming the first Afghan batter to reach that landmark.
Rashid was instrumental once again with the ball, claiming three wickets — including that of Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz, top-scorer of the innings — along with Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan. His strikes came at crucial junctures, helping Afghanistan bowl Bangladesh out for 221 in 48.5 overs and giving them early control of the contest.
Afghanistan’s chase began with positive intent. Ibrahim Zadran opened with a trio of boundaries, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz lofted Taskin Ahmed straight down the ground for a six. The openers brought up a fifty-run stand in just the ninth over before left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam broke through — deceiving Zadran with a sharp turner that Nurul Hasan neatly stumped.
Tanzim Hasan soon followed up with a rising delivery that caught Sediqullah Atal’s edge, snapped up in the slips by Tanzid Hasan.
Much like Bangladesh’s Mehidy and Towhid Hridoy earlier in the day, Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah steadied the Afghan innings after the early setbacks. The pair curbed their aggression and consolidated, with their first boundary in 73 deliveries coming only in the 21st over when Rahmat drove Tanvir through the covers.
Rahmat eventually fell for a patient 50, caught at midwicket off Tanzim, ending a 78-run partnership. Gurbaz followed just four balls later, bowled by Mehidy for the same score.
With Afghanistan suddenly under pressure, Shahidi and Omarzai joined forces for a composed 59-run fifth-wicket stand. Omarzai’s counter-attack turned the tide — he launched Mehidy for a four and a six in his final over, then pummeled Tanzim for three consecutive boundaries in the 43rd. He departed soon after for a well-made 40, caught at short midwicket, but by then the match was firmly in Afghanistan’s grip.
Needing only 27 runs from the last seven overs, Shahidi and Nabi calmly guided their side to victory with 17 balls to spare.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings never truly gained momentum despite a 101-run fourth-wicket partnership between Mehidy Hasan Miraz (60) and Towhid Hridoy (56). The pair revived the innings after an early collapse at 3 for 46 in the 12th over. Hridoy’s run-out after a mix-up with Mehidy broke the stand, and Rashid Khan quickly dismantled the middle order, trapping Mehidy, Jaker Ali, and Nurul Hasan in quick succession.
Omarzai had earlier set the tone with the new ball, claiming three wickets to rattle Bangladesh’s top order. Despite the brief resistance from Mehidy and Hridoy, Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling and Omarzai’s all-round heroics ensured a commanding win to take a 1–0 lead in the series.
Sport
ILT20: Nissanka fires Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
Pathum Nissanka produced his second consecutive half-century of the season on Saturday to guide Gulf Giants to a convincing four-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals, taking them to the top of the DP World ILT20 Season 4 standings.
Nissanka smashed 67 off just 31 deliveries in a dominant display that included six fours and five sixes. His 97-run stand with James Vince (50* off 45) proved decisive in the Giants’ chase of 161, which they completed with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium.
Earlier, the Capitals posted 160/6 thanks to useful contributions from Sediqullah Atal (35), David Willey (29) and Jordan Cox (31). Captain Dasun Shanaka added late impetus with an unbeaten 23 off 9 balls, including two sixes in the final over.
But Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
The Giants’ reply wobbled briefly after the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9) but Nissanka took charge, hammering James Neesham for three sixes in the fourth over as the Giants cruised to 60/1 by the end of the powerplay. He reached his half-century in just 23 balls.
Mustafizur Rahman and Shanaka struck in back-to-back overs to remove Nissanka and Moeen Ali, but Vince held the chase together with a composed knock. Cameos from Omarzai (14 off 12) and Tom Moores (13 off 8) ensured the required rate never spiralled out of reach, and Vince sealed victory with a well-paced fifty.
In the first innings, after Omarzai removed Shayan Jahangir early, Atal and Willey stabilised the Capitals with a 61-run partnership. But the middle overs proved costly, producing only 18 runs between the 10th and 14th overs as wickets fell to Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson and Aayan Afzal Khan. Cox and Neesham revived the innings before Omarzai returned to snuff out the momentum by dismissing Cox and Rovman Powell in the 18th over.
Speaking after the match, Giants captain Moeen Ali praised his side’s all-round display: “Getting the points while knowing we can still play better is a good sign. We squeezed them well in the middle with the ball. Nissanka is a brilliant player, and Vince controlled the chase perfectly.”
Dubai Capitals skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted his team lost control through the middle overs: “Nissanka is in the form of his life — small guy, massive hitting. We lacked intent in the middle period. We waited too long to rotate strike. Powell and I probably should have gone earlier.”
Brief Scores:
Gulf Giants beat Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets
Dubai Capitals 160/6 (20 overs): Sediqullah Atal 35, Jordan Cox 31, David Willey 29, Dasun Shanaka 23*; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/46, Aayan Afzal Khan 1/3, Moeen Ali 1/23
Gulf Giants 161/6 (18.5 overs): Pathum Nissanka 67, James Vince 50*, Azmatullah Omarzai 14; Dasun Shanaka 2/16, Mustafizur Rahman 2/26
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka
In the 27th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Sorkh Poshan Khafi edged out Arman FC 1-0 in a tightly contested clash.
On Saturday, Sarafan Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq Khanzadah, keeping the league race intense and unpredictable.
Looking ahead to Monday, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 2:00 p.m., promising another thrilling showdown for fans.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, allowing football enthusiasts across Afghanistan to follow the action and enjoy the excitement of the Champions League season.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
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