Sport
Ariana News to broadcast IPL auction live and exclusively in Afghanistan

The highly anticipated TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25 – an event that will be broadcast to Afghanistan’s cricket fans live and exclusively by Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN).
The two-day event will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana News.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this year. It will be the second time that the IPL mega auction is held outside India after last year’s event in Dubai.
This year’s mega auction will have 1,574 players registered, of which 574 names will go under the hammer.
Of those 574, a total of 366 players will be Indian and 208 will be foreign cricketers.
A number of big names will be in fray, with as many as 81 players choosing to register themselves under the highest base price bracket of Rs 2 crore ($237,000).
Afghan players
Eighteen Afghan players have been shortlisted for the IPL mega auction.
Two hundred and four (204) slots will be up for grabs with 70 available slots for overseas players.
Full list of Afghan players shortlisted for the auction:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Noor Ahmad
Waqar Salamkheil
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
Azmatullah Omarzai
Naveen-ul-haq
Zahir Khan Pakten
Sediqullah Atal
Mohammad Nabi
Gulbadin Naib
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Najibullah Zadran
Ibrahim Zadran
Qais Ahmad
Karim Janat
Faridoon Dawoodzai
Nangyal Kharote
For cricket fans across the country, the IPL mega auction broadcast will be on Sunday and Monday from 1.30pm Kabul time on Ariana News. For more information and updated stories be sure to watch this space and follow us on social media.
Sport
ACB names Afghanistan A squad for tri-nation series

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Monday announced Afghanistan A squad for the upcoming tri-nation series against Sri Lanka A and Ireland A in the UAE.
The tour will be held from April 7 to May 2, 2025, in the UAE, which will feature a total of seven One Day matches, along with Afghanistan competing in a four-day match against each participating team.
The tour will begin on April 7 with a four-day match between Afghanistan A and Ireland A. The only four-day match will be followed by the start of the Tri-Nation One Day series on April 13, with Ireland A taking on Sri Lanka A in the series opener.
The Tri-Nation 50 Overs Series will be played in Abu Dhabi in a round-robin format, where each of the three teams will face each other twice. The top two teams from the first round will advance to the final, which is scheduled for April 25 at the same venue. Following the conclusion of the Tri-Nation Series, Afghanistan A will face Sri Lanka in a four-day match from April 29 to May 2, marking the end of the event.
Currently, Afghanistan A are undergoing a training and preparation camp in two separate groups in Nangarhar province, gearing up for both the white and red ball formats of the series.
“The Tri-Nation series and the two four-day games are incredible opportunities for our emerging cricketers to showcase their talent on the international stage and further develop their skills,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan stated. “We are committed to identifying promising players for the red-ball format as part of our plans to build a strong red-ball team and improve the overall standard of red-ball cricket in the country.”
ACB Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Suliman Khail added: “We have selected our squad to strike a balance between providing opportunities for our players and ensuring the competitiveness needed to win matches. The squad includes nationally contracted bench players in various roles, along with some top-performing and impactful emerging players.
“We hope they perform well and, with their abilities and preparations, continue to develop their skills and contribute to the team’s success during the tour.”
Afghanistan A Squad for the four-day matches: Darwish Rasooli (C), Abdul Malik (VC), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Imran Mir, Bahir Shah Mahboob, Ijaz Mehri, Shams Ur Rahman, Ismat Alam, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Arab Gul Momand, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Bashir Ahmad and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Afghanistan A squad for the Tri-Nation Series: Darwish Rasooli (C), Sediqullah Atal (VC), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Abdul Malik, Zubaid Akbari, Ijaz Mehri, Bilal Ahmad Tarin, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, Abdul Rahman Rahmani and Bilal Sami.
In addition, Mohammad Saleem, Khalil Gurbaz, Yama Arab, and Faridoon Dawoodzai are part of the reserve pool with both squads.
Sport
AFC Beach Soccer: UAE thrash Afghanistan 7-1 in opener

Afghanistan’s national beach soccer team lost 7-1 to the United Arab Emirates in Friday’s opening match at the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 in Thailand.
Afghanistan will face Iran in their second group-stage match next Sunday.
In this year’s tournament, the Afghan team is placed in Group C alongside Iran, UAE, and Indonesia.
Sport
IPL 2025 celebrates 18 years of immense success

With just four days to go until the opening match of this year’s IPL, cricket fever is already taking hold and for fans across Afghanistan, Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will once again bring this thrilling event into the homes of Afghans in the country.
This year’s IPL is in fact the 18th season and has undoubtedly become a firm favorite on the world’s annual cricket schedule.
The popularity of the IPL is so immense that the cumulative brand value was estimated at $12 billion in 2024, a 13% increase from $10.7 billion in 2023, according to the 17th Brand Finance IPL 2024 valuation report.
According to Brand Finance, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) leads as the most valuable IPL franchise in 2024, with a brand valuation of $122 million.
This 52% growth is attributed largely to the enduring legacy of their former captain MS Dhoni.
CSK is followed by Mumbai Indians, which is valued at $119 million and
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is worth $117 million.
Defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders is at $109 million; Sunrisers Hyderabad is $85 million; Rajasthan Royals is $81 million and Delhi Capitals is $80 million.
Saturday’s opener will see KKR take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
IPL 2025 gets underway on Saturday, March 22, and runs for two months, ending on May 25.
IPL fans can tune in to Ariana Television from 6:15pm for a pre-match show on Saturday. The KKRvsRCB match will start at 6:30pm
For more news and updates follow us on social media and watch this space.
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