Sport
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders beat Dubai Capitals to reach ILT20 Qualifier 2
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders edged closer to the International League T20 final with a commanding 50-run win over Dubai Capitals in Thursday’s Eliminator at Dubai International Stadium.
A blistering 122-run opening stand between Michael Pepper and Phil Salt set the tone for the Knight Riders, while a disciplined bowling performance led by Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, and Liam Livingstone stifled the Capitals’ chase.
The win sets up a Qualifier 2 clash against MI Emirates on Friday, with a spot in Sunday’s final against Desert Vipers on the line.
Pepper continued his excellent form, scoring 72 off 49 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while Salt added 43 off 34, taking the Knight Riders to 122 without loss. Despite a late flourish from Holder, who scored 22 off 11, Abu Dhabi finished on a competitive 158/7.
In reply, the Capitals struggled from the outset as Abu Dhabi’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure. Holder struck early, Narine dominated during the powerplay and middle overs, and Livingstone delivered crucial breakthroughs, leaving Dubai all out for 108. Narine, Holder, and Livingstone each claimed three wickets.
Player of the Match Narine reflected on the victory: “Winning games changes everything, it means a lot. We haven’t made the playoffs in three years, and that’s something we’ve been pushing hard for. It’s emotional because we’ve played good cricket before without getting the results.”
Dubai Capitals captain Mohammad Nabi remained philosophical: “At one point it looked like they might get close to 200, but we did well to pull things back with the ball. With the bat, though, we weren’t good enough as a unit.”
“There wasn’t excessive turn, but they bowled very well to their areas. The plan was to rotate strike and avoid early wickets, but it didn’t come off.”
Fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match (Qualifier 2 between Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and MI Emirates) live on Ariana Television from 7pm on Friday.
Sport
Afghanistan target T20I clean sweep against Zimbabwe in Sharjah
Afghanistan will now be aiming for a third successive victory to finish the series on a high, while Zimbabwe will be hoping to avoid a whitewash and claim a consolation win.
Afghanistan will look to complete a clean sweep of their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe when the teams meet in the third and final match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, November 1.
The AfghanAtalan have already secured the series with two consecutive victories, winning the opening match by 37 runs on October 27 before following up with a 19-run triumph in the second encounter on October 29.
Afghanistan will now be aiming for a third successive victory to finish the series on a high, while Zimbabwe will be hoping to avoid a whitewash and claim a consolation win.
The opening match saw Afghanistan post 177 all out, with Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai leading the batting effort with 52 runs from 22 deliveries. Rashid Khan contributed a quick-fire 30 off 10 balls before Afghanistan’s bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 140.
The second encounter produced a remarkable batting display from Afghanistan after the team found itself in serious trouble at 5/4 early in its innings.
Azmatullah Omarzai and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai rescued the innings with a spectacular 142-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Omarzai smashed 116 off just 50 deliveries, including 12 sixes and five boundaries, while Ijaz added 52 off 27 balls.
Rashid Khan provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 25 from just six deliveries as Afghanistan posted an imposing 221/7.
Zimbabwe responded strongly, with captain Sikandar Raza producing an outstanding unbeaten 106 off 56 balls. However, his effort was not enough to prevent Afghanistan from securing a 19-run victory, with Zimbabwe finishing on 202/5.
Omarzai was named Player of the Match for his explosive innings and contribution with the ball.
The second match also saw Rashid Khan reach a historic milestone, becoming the first bowler to claim 200 wickets in men’s T20 International cricket.
For Afghanistan, the final match offers another opportunity to build momentum ahead of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, which begins in Sharjah on November 5.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be looking for a stronger all-round performance after showing glimpses of its batting potential, particularly through Raza’s century in the second match.
The third T20I gets underway at 6:30 p.m. local time at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Afghanistan crowned 2026 Hong Kong Sixes champions after beating Australia in final
Afghanistan won the 2026 Hong Kong International Sixes title after defeating Australia by four wickets in the final on Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Australia scored 115 runs in their six overs, with Max Bryant leading the innings with 44 runs.
Afghanistan chased down the target in 5.1 overs, finishing the match with five balls to spare. Imran Mir starred with the bat, scoring 53 off just 14 deliveries, including seven sixes, while Farmanullah contributed 26 runs.
Twelve teams competed in the tournament. Afghanistan reached the final after securing victories over South Africa, Oman and Scotland before overcoming Australia in the title decider to lift the trophy.
Sport
Afghanistan finish 83rd at inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival
Afghanistan finished their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival with a penalty shootout victory over hosts Azerbaijan, securing 83rd place among 189 participating nations.
The Afghan side drew 3-3 with Azerbaijan in the 83rd-place play-off in Baku on Friday before winning 3-2 on penalties to end the tournament on a winning note.
Afghanistan recorded six victories during the competition, defeating Sierra Leone, Djibouti, Sudan, Namibia, India and Azerbaijan. They also suffered four defeats against Turkey, Russia, Thailand and Hungary.
The inaugural 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival featured 189 nations, with Spain crowned champions after beating the Czech Republic 3-0 in the final on October 30.
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