Sport
Afghanistan withdraws from cricket series with Pakistan after three players killed in airstrikes
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it is withdrawing from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20 International Series involving Pakistan, following the killing of three Afghan cricketers in what it described as a “cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
According to an ACB statement, the incident occurred in Urgun District of Paktika Province, where three players — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — along with five other civilians were killed, and seven others injured in airstrikes on Friday evening. The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the provincial capital, to participate in a friendly cricket match and were targeted upon their return home.
Calling the attack a “great loss for Afghanistan’s sporting community,” the ACB expressed its “deepest sorrow and grief” over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Paktika.
“As a gesture of respect to the victims,” the board said, Afghanistan will not participate in the Tri-Nation T20I Series that was scheduled for late November and included Pakistan.
Sport
Full match schedule unveiled as draw launches Afghanistan Champions League Season 5
The league will officially kick off on 22 November and run until 17 December, with every team playing a demanding series of clashes that promise high drama, emerging talent, and fierce regional rivalries.
The excitement for Afghanistan’s biggest domestic football event reached new heights on Sunday evening, 16 November, as the official draw for Season 5 of the Afghanistan Champions League was conducted in Kabul.
The ceremony finalized all fixtures for the month-long tournament, confirming five weeks of action-packed matches featuring 10 top clubs from across the country.
The league will officially kick off on 22 November and run until 17 December, with every team playing a demanding series of clashes that promise high drama, emerging talent, and fierce regional rivalries.
Officials from the Afghanistan Football Federation, club representatives, and media outlets attended the draw, which laid out the complete schedule beginning with two major opening-day matchups: Istiqlal Kabul vs defending champions Abu Muslim Farah and Jawanan Perozi vs Khurasan Faryab.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) will exclusively produce and broadcast the entire tournament live, ensuring fans nationwide can follow every goal, save, and decisive moment of Season 5.
Below is the full match schedule as confirmed during Sunday’s draw:
22 November
- Istiqlal Kabul vs Abu Muslim Farah
- Jawanan Perozi vs Khurasan Faryab
23 November
- Ettifaq Khanzadah vs Aino Mina
- Arman vs Sarafan Herat
24 November
- Sarsabz Yashlar vs Sorkh Poshan Khafi
- Istiqlal Kabul vs Khurasan Faryab
25 November
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Aino Mina
- Jawanan Perozi vs Sarafan Herat
26 November
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
- Arman vs Sarsabz Yashlar
27 November
- Aino Mina vs Istiqlal Kabul
- Khurasan Faryab vs Sarafan Herat
28 November
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Sorkh Poshan Khafi
- Sarsabz Yashlar vs Jawanan Perozi
29 November
- Ettifaq Khanzadah vs Arman
- Sarafan Herat vs Istiqlal Kabul
1 December
- Aino Mina vs Sorkh Poshan Khafi
- Khurasan Faryab vs Sarsabz Yashlar
2 December
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Arman
- Jawanan Perozi vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
3 December
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs Istiqlal Kabul
- Sarafan Herat vs Sarsabz Yashlar
4 December
- Aino Mina vs Arman
- Ettifaq Khanzadah vs Khurasan Faryab
5 December
- Jawanan Perozi vs Abu Muslim Farah
- Istiqlal Kabul vs Sarsabz Yashlar
6 December
- Arman vs Sorkh Poshan Khafi
- Sarafan Herat vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
7 December
- Aino Mina vs Jawanan Perozi
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Khurasan Faryab
9 December
- Arman vs Istiqlal Kabul
- Sarsabz Yashlar vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
10 December
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs Jawanan Perozi
- Sarafan Herat vs Abu Muslim Farah
11 December
- Khurasan Faryab vs Aino Mina
- Istiqlal Kabul vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
12 December
- Jawanan Perozi vs Arman
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Sarsabz Yashlar
13 December
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs Khurasan Faryab
- Aino Mina vs Sarafan Herat
- Istiqlal Kabul vs Jawanan Perozi
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
- Khurasan Faryab vs Arman
- Sarsabz Yashlar vs Aino Mina
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi vs Sarafan Herat
With anticipation rising and fixtures now confirmed, football supporters across Afghanistan are gearing up for what promises to be one of the most competitive and entertaining seasons in the league’s history.
Four Afghan cricketers have been retained by their respective franchises as teams gear up for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which is scheduled to be held on 16 December in Abu Dhabi.
Across all teams, 173 players have been retained, including 49 overseas players. With a maximum squad size of 25 players permitted for each franchise, Punjab Kings lead the list with 21 retained players, the highest among the 10 teams. Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have each retained 20 players.
Retained Afghan Players:
- Noor Ahmad – Chennai Super Kings
- Rashid Khan – Gujarat Titans
- Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar – Mumbai Indians
- Azmatullah Omarzai – Punjab Kings
Released Afghan Players:
- Sediqullah Atal – Delhi Capitals
- Karim Janat – Gujarat Titans
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Mumbai Indians
- Fazalhaq Farooqi – Rajasthan Royals
The Afghanistan A national cricket team (Afghan Abdalyan) defeated the Sri Lanka A cricket team by a margin of three wickets in the opening match of Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025.
The match took place on Saturday in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Sri Lanka A won the toss and opted to bat first, posting 170 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs, setting a target of 171 for Afghanistan.
Afghan Abdalyan successfully chased the target in 19.5 overs, losing seven wickets, securing a three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka.
Bilal Sami played a key role, scoring 45 runs and taking four wickets.
In their next match, Afghanistan A will face Bangladesh A on 17 November.
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