Sport
Afghanistan strike three times in morning session despite Karunaratne’s 77
Afghanistan removed Sri Lanka’s top three before lunch, their seamers in particular finding tighter lines and better lengths on the second morning. But the hosts still marched towards a substantial first-innings lead, on a track that seemed settled after the first hour. Sri Lanka now sit 21 runs behind, with seven of their wickets in tact.
Still, the dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne in particular will buoy Afghanistan. Karunaratne had sped to 77 at easily better than a run a ball when he essentially gave his wicket away, coming down the track to turn a Qais Ahmad ball into a full toss, which he promptly flicked to short midwicket. There was little spin for Qais, who largely bowled flat and fast, in Afghanistan’s attempts to slow the scoring rate, ESPNcricinfo.com reported.
Karunaratne had looked dangerous before that, his leg-side game humming, and Afghanistan somewhat at a loss as to how to slow his rate of scoring down. He had begun the day on 42 off 37 balls, and resumed scoring briskly, hitting two fours off the first seven balls he faced to bring up a 35th Test fifty. He struck three further boundaries before he was out trying to hit another one.
The other wickets to fall were to seam bowling. Naveed Zadran set a leg slip first ball he bowled to Nishan Madushka on Saturday, and had him glancing a ball off his hip, straight to the fielder. He had added only one to his overnight score.
Kusal Mendis started carefully against disciplined seam bowling from both Zadran and Nijat Masood, making only five off his first 16 deliveries. But eventually he lost his patience. Masood bowled an excellent bouncer, with the trap set in the deep. Mendis took the bait, and top edged one to fine leg, where Zia-ur-Rehman settled under it comfortably.
Mendis was out for 10, and Masood had reward for his tight bowling on the first evening, and in this session. That over would go on to be a wicket-maiden.
Angelo Mathews batted sensibly for 51 balls before the break, scoring 29 and scoring four boundaries, largely off the bad balls. Dinesh Chandimal was with him at lunch, having made 15 off 25.
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.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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