Sport
‘Absolute jet’ Varma heading for India call-up after IPL take-off
Rising talent Tilak Varma has earned predictions that he is destined to play for his country after lighting up the Indian Premier League with his fearless batting.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians bought Varma for $200,000 in last year’s auction and the 20-year-old has repaid their faith with some stellar performances since, AFP reported.
An attacking left-handed batsman, Varma smashed a 17-ball 37 in a crucial stand with Australia’s Cameron Green in Mumbai’s win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The knock, laced with four sixes, came at a strike-rate of over 217 and Rohit Sharma hinted that the youngster could work his way into the India team.
“What I like about his game is his approach, he is not afraid,” Rohit, the India and Mumbai skipper, said after his team’s third successive win in the IPL.
“He is not playing the bowler, he is playing the ball, which is quite important for someone of his age coming out and playing the way he is.
“He has got a long way to go and we will see him play for some different teams.”
The Indian Express called Varma, who also bowls off-spin and only made his IPL debut last year, the “IPL’s best young Indian batting talent”.
The numbers back that up.
Varma is seventh in the list of batsmen during the current IPL with 214 runs from five matches, just a spot below Indian superstar Virat Kohli (220 from five matches).
South Africa’s Faf du Plessis tops the batting charts with 259 runs.
‘Maturity and flare’
Varma started this season with an unbeaten 84 off 46 balls in Mumbai’s opener, albeit in a losing cause, and hit winning knocks including a quickfire 41 against Delhi Capitals.
Former player and India coach Ravi Shastri told Star Sports that “I would be very surprised if he does not play T20 cricket for India in the next six months or eight months”.
“He has got the maturity, he has got the flare. He will make a world of difference to the Indian middle-order,” said Shastri.
Sport
Omar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL
Omar Zawak secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Istiqlal Kabul in the 80th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan, delivering an impressive attacking performance.
The match was played in Kabul on Tuesday. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended goalless.
However, Omar Zawak stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, scoring five goals to take control of the match. Istiqlal Kabul managed to score just once as Omar Zawak sealed a convincing 5-1 victory.
Omar Zawak will face Ariana Khost in their next match on November 12, while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Aino Mina Kandahar on the same day.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
First Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw
Zimbabwe produced a remarkable batting display to secure a draw against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah, with Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere scoring unbeaten centuries on the final day.
Resuming the fifth and final day at 164/3, Zimbabwe finished on 523/5 in their second innings, following their first-innings total of 504. This marked the first time in Test cricket history that a team has scored more than 500 runs in both innings of a match.
Craig Ervine remained unbeaten on 206, while Madhevere scored 100 not out, as the pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout the day.
Ervine, aged 41 years and 82 days, became the third-oldest player to score a double century in Test cricket.
Afghanistan had posted 514 in their first innings. Afghanistan needed early wickets to put pressure on the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s batters showed patience and discipline on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.
Brian Bennett scored a half-century before Mohammad Saleem dismissed him, while debutant Antum Naqvi contributed 61 runs. Naqvi and Ervine shared a 140-run partnership before Abdul Malik broke the stand.
However, Madhevere joined Ervine and the pair put together an unbeaten 208-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest for that wicket in Zimbabwe’s Test history. Madhevere also registered his maiden Test century during the partnership.
The result leaves the two sides level heading into the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on November 13.
Sport
Portugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
Afghanistan’s Under-18 futsal team missed out on a place in the gold medal match at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in the semi-finals on Monday.
Portugal took the lead through Joao Carvalho, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Afghanistan’s Ahmad Esmaeili to score into an unguarded net from inside his own half.
Diego Ferreira doubled Portugal’s advantage before half-time, putting the European side firmly in control of the match.
Afghanistan pushed hard to get back into the game in the second half, creating several opportunities to reduce the deficit. However, they were unable to find the net, with Portugal goalkeeper Bernardo Borges making several important saves.
The victory sends Portugal into the gold medal match, while Afghanistan will now compete for the bronze medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
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