Sport
All you need to know about the Asia Cup 2023
The Men’s Asia Cup is set to get underway on Wednesday, 30 August, with six teams poised to battle it out for the coveted title. Sri Lanka and Pakistan are co-hosting this year’s event.
Afghanistan is among the teams and has been placed in Group B along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India, Pakistan, and Nepal are in Group A.
This will be Nepal’s debut in the tournament after they qualified by winning the inaugural ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2023, where they overcame the United Arab Emirates in the final by seven wickets.
The tournament started in 1984 in the ODI format, although the recent editions have alternated between ODI and T20I formats. The 2023 edition will be played as an ODI (50-over) competition.
India is the most successful side in the tournament with seven titles (six ODI and one T20I) to their name. Sri Lanka comes in second place with six (five ODI and one T20I) titles. Pakistan has won the Asia Cup twice.
The Asia Cup 2023 will see the two groups comprising three teams playing in round-robin style within their group. Top two sides from each group will then qualify for the Super Four stage.
The Super Four will be another round-robin series of games and the top two sides from there will qualify for the final, to be played on 17 September in Colombo.
Thirteen games will be played in total between 30 August and 17 September. The group stage of the tournament will be played from 30 August to 5 September and three of these games will be played in Pakistan, while the rest will be held in Sri Lanka.
The Super Four stage will run from 6 to 15 September, with five encounters being played in Sri Lanka, and one in Pakistan. The final will be hosted at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 17 September.
The Asia Cup will be played across four venues in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Multan and Lahore will host the Pakistan leg of the tournament, whereas Kandy and Colombo will host the games in Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan goes into the tournament in the aftermath of a 3-0 series loss to Pakistan. However, the side can draw encouragement from their recent ODI performances. They displayed resilience in a 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka in June and secured a 2-1 ODI series victory against Bangladesh in July. The team will bank on their world-class spinners to excel in the conducive sub-continent conditions.
Afghanistan’s squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Suliman Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi
For fans across the country, Ariana Television (ATN) will broadcast all the matches live each day starting at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. Live matches will be broadcast daily through to the final, which will take place in Colombo on September 17.
Afghanistan’s first match in the Group Stage will be on September 3 in Lahore, Pakistan, against Bangladesh. The team will then play Sri Lanka, also in Lahore, on September 5.
CLICK HERE for the broadcasting schedule
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
Sport
2nd ODI: India crush Afghanistan by 170 runs to seal series lead
The Indian national cricket team registered a dominant 170-run victory over Afghanistan in the second One Day International, delivering a commanding all-round performance.
Batting first, India piled up 402 all out in 49.5 overs, setting a daunting 403-run target for Afghanistan.
In reply, Afghanistan were never able to settle into the chase and were eventually bowled out for 232 in 44.3 overs, falling well short of the required total.
India’s innings was powered by a sensational top-order display. Shubman Gill led the charge with a brilliant 154 off 110 balls, striking 22 fours and 2 sixes, while Ishan Kishan lit up the innings with a rapid 125 off 79 deliveries, smashing 14 fours and 7 sixes. The duo laid the foundation for a massive total.
Afghanistan’s bowling effort saw some resistance from Rashid Khan, who picked up 3 wickets, but lacked support from the other end.
Set under pressure from the outset, Afghanistan’s batting lineup failed to build partnerships and was unable to sustain the required run rate against disciplined Indian bowling.
The match was played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where India’s dominant performance secured a comfortable win and momentum in the series.
Afghanistan had also lost the opening ODI by 7 wickets, giving India a strong 2–0 position in the series.
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