Sport
Afghanistan’s spirits lifted after convincing 62-run win against Namibia
It was a convincing 62-run win over Namibia for Afghanistan but also an emotional day for the national team’s former captain Asghar Afghan, who was carried off the field after his final match before retirement.
Twenty-two year old Naveen-ul-Haq was named Man of the Match. He dedicated his award to Asghar.
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first in Abu Dhabi in the third of their four Super 12 matches in the ICC T20 World Cup. After losing to Pakistan in their previous game, Afghanistan had hoped for a win against Namibia.
Their triumph Sunday was a bittersweet moment however as only hours earlier the team’s former captain and allrounder Asghar Afghan announced he would retire after the match.
“I will retire from all international cricket after the game against Namibia,” the 33-year-old said in a video message on Facebook.
Afghanistan meanwhile put on a dominant display which saw them crush Namibia by 62 runs to boost their semi-final hopes.
Chasing 161 after Afghanistan’s imposing effort, Namibia limped to 98-9 from 20 overs.
Hamid Hassan, who played his first international T20 since 2016, took a brilliant 3-9 and fellow seamer Naveen-Ul-Haq also shone with 3-26.
Hard-hitting openers Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad added 53 for the first wicket before captain Mohammad Nabi (32 not out from 17) and Asghar Afghan (31 from 23), boosted the total.
The victory keeps Afghanistan second on the table behind Pakistan. However, the team has played more games than India and New Zealand, who meet Sunday evening.
* We Give So They May Live Campaign – Donate Here: http://www.helpafg.org
Ariana News and Ariana Television fully support the Bayat Foundation’s initiative to raise funds to provide emergency aid to poverty-stricken Afghans. As official media partners, we appeal to you to help provide food essentials to as many Afghan families as possible.
Sport
Ghazanfar replaces injured Mujeeb in IPL’s KKR squad
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed young Afghanistan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar as a replacement for the injured Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Mujeeb has been recovering from a right phalanx sprain in his hand, which he sustained in February 2024 during Afghanistan’s ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, he was also ruled out of the three-match T20I series between the two sides. Since then, the Afghanistan spinner hasn’t played cricket at any level.
Mujeeb was roped in by KKR for INR 2 crores (approx. $240,000) during the 2024 mini-auction. He also missed the opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The 16-year-old Ghazanfar has featured for Afghanistan in two ODIs. The youngster has played three T20s and six List A games and has 5 and 4 wickets respectively against his name He joins KKR for his base price of INR 20 lakhs (approx. $24,000).
Two-time champions KKR will play their first away game in the 2024 edition against RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, March 29.
Sport
FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Afghanistan beat India 2-1
In a thrilling match that doubled as a qualifier for both the FIFA World Cup and the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, Afghanistan’s national football team secured a 2-1 victory over India.
The contest saw India taking an early lead, ending the first half ahead 1-0.
However, Afghanistan’s resolve shone in the second half, with Rahmat Akbari leveling the score at 1-1 in the 69th minute.
The decisive moment came when Sharif Mohammad converted a penalty in the 88th minute, propelling Afghanistan to a late lead.
The two teams had previously ended the first leg of their matchup in a goalless draw.
Looking ahead, Afghanistan is scheduled to face Qatar and Kuwait in upcoming matches on June 6 and 11, respectively.
Sport
IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings
Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77(49) helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru register their first win of the TATA IPL 2024 as they beat Punjab Kings by 4 wickets with four balls remaining at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
Kohli made PBKS pay with some delightful strokeplay to set the platform.
Dinesh Karthik (28 off 10) and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror (17 off 8) then provided the final flourish, stitching an unbeaten 48-run stand off 18 balls, to help RCB chase down 177 in the final over.
Earlier, a disciplined bowling display had helped the home side restrict PBKS to 176/6.
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field.
Tuesday, March 26, will see Chennai Super Kings take on Gujarat Titans.
In this highly anticipated rematch of last season’s final, defending champions Chennai lock horns with runners-up Gujarat in what promises to be a scintillating encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
IPL fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television at 6.30pm Tuesday, or stream live at www.arianatelevision.com, to watch this exciting match.
-
Sport4 days ago
Afghanistan beat Australia 5-4 in NSDF Futsal Championship
-
Sport4 days ago
IPL: Mumbai Indians fall short by just six runs in Gujarat match
-
Latest News5 days ago
Over 500 of Herat’s artifacts submitted to museum and archive
-
Latest News5 days ago
IPL: KKR’s Rana fined for breaching Code of Conduct
-
Regional3 days ago
Attackers target Pakistani naval airbase in Baluchistan
-
World4 days ago
Four killed, several injured as race car hits spectators at Hungary rally
-
Latest News4 days ago
Over 3 million national electronic ID cards distributed in 1402
-
Sport3 days ago
IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings