Sport

All you need to know about the Asia Cup 2023

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 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

Related Topics:#AsiaCup2023 Cricket featured

Up Next

Azam and Ahmed hit hundreds as Pakistan crush Nepal in Asia Cup

Don't Miss

Cricket fans shocked at Naveen’s exclusion from Asia Cup squad

Sport

Excitement builds as ATN gears up for live coverage of Afghanistan Champions League

The Afghanistan Champions League is one of the country’s most prestigious football tournaments, featuring top clubs and elite players from across the provinces. The event aims to elevate the standard of Afghan football, inspire young players, and celebrate national unity through sport.

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2025

Ariana News

The countdown has begun! With just nine days left before the kickoff of the Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) Season 5, excitement is growing among football fans across the country.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured exclusive rights to produce, host and broadcast the entire tournament live across Afghanistan, bringing every match, goal, and moment of drama straight to fans’ screens.

This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, November 22 and run for a month.

The draw will meanwhile take place on Sunday evening, November 16, from 7pm Kabul time and will be broadcast and streamed live on Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN), Ariana News, as well as on Ariana Sport’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.

According to organizers, preparations are in full swing for what promises to be a thrilling season. Teams are finalizing their squads, stadiums are being readied, and fans are eagerly awaiting the first whistle. The competition will feature intense matchups, highlighting both established

stars and emerging talents from Afghanistan’s rapidly growing football scene.

An ATN spokesperson said the network is fully prepared to deliver comprehensive live coverage throughout the tournament. “Ariana Television Network is proud to bring the excitement of the Afghanistan Champions League to every corner of the country. Football unites us all, and ATN is committed to showcasing the best of Afghan sport,” the spokesperson said.

The Afghanistan Champions League stands as a symbol of the nation’s resilience and passion for sport — and with only nine days to go, the stage is set for a celebration of skill, teamwork, and national pride, all broadcast live only on Ariana Television.

This year, 10 teams will battle it out for the trophy. The teams are as follows:

Istiqlal Kabul FC
Khurasan Faryab FC
Sorkh Poshan Khafi
Abu Muslim Farah FC
Aino Mina FC
Arman FC
Sarsabz Yashlar FC
Jawanan Pirozi
Sarafan Herat
Ettifaq Khanzada

Sport

Afghanistan crushes India 93–26 at IWBF Asia Oceania Championships

Published

4 days ago

November 10, 2025

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s wheelchair basketball team earned its second consecutive victory at the 2025 IWBF Asia Oceania Championships on Monday, defeating India 93–26.

Earlier, Afghanistan had triumphed over New Zealand in their opening match.

The tournament features men’s teams from 14 countries, including Australia, China, Iran, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

Afghanistan is set to play Iraq next on Tuesday.

Sport

Türkiye leads Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games medal table

Uzbekistan sits in second place with a total of 16 medals – 4 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze.

Published

4 days ago

November 10, 2025

Ariana News

Türkiye is currently dominating the medal table at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games – Riyadh 2025, with 36 in total, including 26 gold medals, 6 silvers and 4 bronze

Uzbekistan sits in second place with a total of 16 medals – 4 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze.

Nigeria, Indonesia and Kazakhstan are in third, fourth and fifth place respectively.

Afghanistan has not yet clinched a medal but with 69 athletes representing the country, across 13 sports, spirits are high that some medals will be brought home with the team.

Afghanistan’s athletes at the Games will participate in in athletics (2), boxing (2), futsal (14), ju-jitsu (7), karate (3), muay thai (2), swimming (4), table tennis (2), taekwondo (5), volleyball (12), weightlifting (4), wrestling (9), and wushu (3).

This marks Afghanistan’s largest-ever team at the Islamic Solidarity Games, reflecting renewed national investment in sports development and international competition.

The 2025 edition of the Games will also mark the 25th anniversary of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association, underscoring the event’s role in promoting unity, cultural exchange, and peace among Muslim nations.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is Afghanistan’s official broadcaster for the Games, and fans across the country can tune in daily to watch this exciting tournament live.

The Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 officially got underway in Riyadh on Friday, November 7, and will close on November 21.

The games will feature approximately 3,500 athletes from 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation competing in 21 sports and 2 para sports. The event returns to Saudi Arabia after 20 years, as the inaugural games were held there in 2005.