Sport
ATN secures digital rights to broadcast IPL

Ariana Television Network is pleased to announce that it has secured the rights to broadcast the world’s biggest and richest franchise cricket tournament on its digital platforms.
That’s right, this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on Friday, will be made that much more accessible to millions of fans in the country.
Matches will be live streamed on both Ariana News and Ariana Television websites each day allowing Afghans to watch this thrilling event no matter where they are.
And it’s a tournament not to be missed as some of the world’s biggest stars, including Afghan heroes, will again be showcasing their talents in one of the greatest battles in cricket.
Included in this year’s star-studded lineup is spin wizard Rashid Khan, who has again been ranked No.1 bowler, in ICC Bowling Rankings, in the world – after leading his team to a brilliant 2-1 T20I series win against Pakistan earlier this week.
Here’s what you need to know:
The challenge starts on Friday, March 31. Gujarat Titans are the title holders, having won last year, and will take on Chennai Super Kings in the first match.
Ten teams in total will take part and there are 70 matches before the knockout stages. The final will be held on May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
How to watch on ATN’s digital platforms
Watch on : Ariana News CLICK HERE
Watch on : Ariana Television CLICK HERE
Full Broadcasting Schedule
TATA IPL 2023 – Match Schedule
Rule Changes
This year, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has made a few changes to the rules and the format of the IPL 2023.
The Indian board has restored the home and away arrangement of the matches for the 16th edition of IPL and divided the ten teams into two groups of five. Every team will play 14 league-stage matches, including seven home and seven away games.
The IPL 2023 will be held across 12 venues over 52 days.
Other major changes made, as explained by Cricket Times:
1) Decision review system for wide and no balls
Players can now challenge the wide and no-ball decisions of the umpires using the Decision Review System (DRS). The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 became the first tournament to introduce the rule, and now IPL will also see it being implemented in their 16th edition.
In the WPL opener, Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur used a review to challenge a wide call by the umpire and became the first skipper to avail the benefit.
2) The ‘Impact Player’ Rule
BCCI has also added a new ‘Impact Player’ rule in the IPL 2023 that allows every team to replace one of their on-field players with any of the four substitutes at any moment of the match.
However, the replaced player will no longer be able to participate further in the match, not even as a substitute fielder.
Notably, if a team names four foreign players in their playing eleven, then the impact player can only be an Indian.
IPL 2023 Groups:
Group A: Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants
Group B: Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Afghan Players in IPL 2023
Afghan players nowadays are in demand in T20 Leagues around the world and IPL is no exception.
This year, five Afghan players will represent various teams. They are:
Rehmanullah Gurbaz will be in action for Kolkata Knight Riders after being retained by the team for this season. Gurbaz did not however get a game in IPL 2022 but as the cricket fraternity know, he is useful at the top of the order with his quick runs.
Known as the “spin twins”, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed will be in action for Gujarat Titans. Both the players were retained by the Titans for this season.
Rashid picked up 19 wickets in IPL 2022 at an average of 22 and was the 2nd highest wicket-taker of Gujarat Titans. If given an opportunity, Noor Ahmed can also prove his talent this year.
Fazalhaq Farooqi was retained in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team for IPL 2023. He played just 3 games in IPL 2022 and picked a couple of wickets.
Naveen-ul-Haq became part of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2023 Auction.
Sport
Ariana Snooker Championship 2025: Day Two Highlights

The second day of the Ariana Snooker Championship 2025 delivered thrilling performances and dominant victories.
In the fifth match, Zulmai Salamkhil showcased his mastery of the game, securing a commanding 4-0 victory over Ismail Mohammadi. Salamkhil’s precision and strategic play left no room for his opponent to recover.
The sixth match saw Ajmal Yousofzai in top form as he outclassed Haseebullah Sultani with a flawless 4-0 win. Yousofzai’s consistent breaks and tactical prowess ensured a swift and decisive victory.
In the seventh match, Mohammad Mir Noorzai faced off against the promising 13-year-old Ibrahim Mohammadi. Despite the young talent’s spirited effort, Noorzai’s experience prevailed as he clinched the match 4-1.
The day concluded with an impressive performance by Nader Rohani, who dominated the youngest competitor, Mohammad Osman Mohammadi, with a clean sweep of 4-0.
Rohani’s composure and skill were on full display, marking a strong finish to the day’s events.
Follow Ariana News, Ariana Television and Ariana Sport social media pages for schedules and updates.
Sport
Afghan cricket team arrives in Pakistan; Ghazanfar ruled out due to injury
The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.

Afghanistan’s national cricket team arrived in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which gets underway next week.
Players and support staff touched down in the country on Wednesday morning. The team will enjoy a day of rest before starting their practise sessions on Thursday.
Their first match is scheduled for Friday, February 21 at the National Stadium Karachi.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 marks the tournament’s return after an eight-year hiatus and is set to kick off on Wednesday February 19.
As the host nation and defending champions, Pakistan will compete against seven of the world’s best teams to retain their title.
The eight teams are divided into two groups for the tournament’s opening stage. Each team will play three group-stage matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
Group A features Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Group B includes Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.
The tournament opener will see the home team, Pakistan, face New Zealand on February 19th in Karachi. However, India will play all their matches in Dubai, citing security concerns as the reason for not traveling to Pakistan.
Afghanistan squad
The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.
Teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Left-armer Nangyal Kharoti has been drafted into the squad as a replacement.
Ghazanfar’s absence is a blow to Afghanistan’s spin department as they are already missing experienced spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra,” the team confirmed in a statement.
Ghazanfar sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recent tour to Zimbabwe and is expected to be sidelined for at least four months.
“Nangyal Kharoti, who was part of the reserves pool, has been promoted to the main squad for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to miss the ODI action, until he has fully recovered,” the statement read.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
Afghanistan’s Group Stage Fixtures:
- 21 February – Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi
- 26 February – Afghanistan vs England, Lahore
- 28 February – Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore
Sport
Ariana Snooker Championship 2025: Day 1 Highlights

The Ariana Snooker Championship 2025 kicked off in Afghanistan today, Tuesday February 11, with thrilling matches at the top level.
In the opening match, Afghanistan’s No. 1 ranking player Saleh Mohammad Mohammadi dominated the game, defeating Sahil Ebrahimi 4-1 to secure a spot in the next round.
The second match saw the country’s No. 2, Naweed Naderi, showcase his skills, effortlessly beating Iqbal Hasas 4-0.
Ali Ahmad followed suit, overcoming Mohammad Sadeq Mohammadi 4-2 in a well-fought contest.
The day’s final match saw Mohammad Rais Hotak deliver a commanding performance, dispatching Ali Sakhi with a 4-0 victory.
The week-long tournament, which runs from February 11 to 17, features the country’s top 16 snooker players who are competing for the prestigious title.
The matches will be broadcast live on Ariana Television in Afghanistan and will be live streamed on arianatelevision.com; Ariana Sport Facebook page and Ariana Sport YouTube Channel.
Match line up for Wednesday, February 12
ATN will start broadcasting the event live and exclusively from 3pm on Wednesday.
Match 1, 2, 3 and 4 took place on Tuesday.
Match 5 will see Zulmai Salamkhil play Ismail Mohammadi at 3pm.
Match 6 is between Ajmal Yousofzai and Haseebullah Sultani.
Match 7 will feature Mohammad Mir Noorzai and Ibrahim Mohammadi.
Match 8, the last in the group stage, will be between Nadir Khan Rohani and M. Usman Mohammadi.
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