Fans at the Dubai International Stadium were treated to yet another dramatic finish on Sunday evening as Sharjah Warriorz registered a three-wicket victory against the Gulf Giants at the DP World ILT20.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the standout performer in a match that went down to the last ball. 

He finished unbeaten on 83 runs from 56 balls with six fours and four sixes to steer the Warriorz to their target of 175.

Kohler-Cadmore's exploits were complemented by a breezy knock of 45 runs from UAE’s Rohan Mustafa as the pair put on a 105-run partnership. 

The Warriorz endured a few anxious moments in the final over, but a composed Kohler-Cadmore helped them sail through and secure the two points.

Desert Vipers trump Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets

In the earlier match Sunday, Desert Vipers began their campaign with a seven-wicket victory against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Half centuries from Dan Lawrence and Sam Curran ensured the Vipers would comfortably surmount their target of 167. 

Dan Lawrence powered his way to 70 runs in 39 balls, while Sam Curran remained unbeaten on 50 from 37 deliveries.

The Vipers won the toss and elected to field first. 

Speaking on his innings and his broader experience at the DP World ILT20, Player of the match, Dan Lawrence said: "The situation was quite nice to come into, knowing I had to give myself time. From the hotel to how the coaches treat you, this is probably the most professional set-up."

Reflecting on the loss, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ skipper Sunil Narine said: “We did well to get back in the game. We had a tough powerplay and we obviously wanted more runs. The key was the difference in the first six overs.”

Monday’s match

Dubai Capitals will take on MI Emirates on Monday. The match will be screened live on Ariana Television from7pm. The pre-match show will start at 6.30pm Kabul time.

The full broadcasting schedule is as below.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Sunday announced the national team’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 this year in Pakistan and UAE.

Afghanistan’s prolific top-order batter, Ibrahim Zadran, who was away from action due to an ankle injury, has returned to the squad.

However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses out on the selection, as AM Ghazanfar, a similar mystery spinner, has made the cut for the mega event, ACB said in a statement.

The squad also includes Sediqullah Atal, who recently had an impressive performance in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, earning the Player of the Series title by scoring a total of 156 runs, including a century and a half-century in two games.

“AfghanAtalan have performed exceptionally well in the past two ICC events, the CWC23 and the ICC World T20 2024,” ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf stated.

“Their impressive performances in these two event coupled with their ODI series victories last year will undoubtedly boost their morale and help them deliver an even better campaign this time.”

“The appointment of mentors has proven to be quite beneficial for us in both of the last two events. Given this success, we have appointed Mr. Younis Khan, who has extensive international and local experience, and we look forward to making full use of his expertise during the event,” he added.

ACB Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Suliman Khil commented, “Mujeeb Ur Rahman was not available for the selection as he has been advised by his doctor to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery before returning to ODIs. That was also the reason he missed on the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe.”

“Conditions in Pakistan are similar to those in Afghanistan and the UAE, where we usually play. We will conduct a preparation camp in multiple phases before embarking on our journey for the big event. The expectations are high, and I hope the team will prepare well and deliver some excellent performances, just as they did in the last two World Cups,” he added.

Afghanistan’s 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti and Bilal Sami are part of the reserve pool for the event.

About the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy

Australia and India are the two most successful sides in the ICC Champions Trophy since its inception in 1998 when it was known as the ICC Knockout Trophy. Both the sides have won the event twice, with Australia being the only side to win back-to-back titles - in 2006 in Mumbai, India, and in 2009 in Centurion, South Africa. India shared the title with hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2002 before winning again in Birmingham, England, in 2014.

Other past winners are South Africa (Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1998), New Zealand (Nairobi, Kenya, 2000), West Indies (The Oval, London, 2004) and Pakistan (The Oval, London, 2017).

Broadcast Rights in Afghanistan

Cricket fans across Afghanistan will be able to watch the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live, thanks to Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN), which has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the event on Ariana Television.

This will be the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy and it will be hosted in Pakistan.

For news and updates on the event, be sure to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ social media pages.

The match schedule is below.

Dubai Capitals rode on the backs of stellar spells from Gulbadin Naib and Olly Stone to clinch a one-run victory against the MI Emirates in the first match of the DP World ILT20 Season 3 in the UAE on Saturday. 

Fans were treated to a last ball thriller at the Dubai International Stadium as Nicholas Pooran’s exquisite half century of 61 runs in 40 balls for MI Emirates went in vain. The win marked the narrowest margin in DP World ILT20 history.

MI Emirates were coasting to victory, needing 16 runs in 15 balls, but a disciplined showing from the Capitals’ bowling unit swung the pendulum in their favour. 

Gulbadin Naib finished with figures of 3 for 13, while Olly Stone returned with 2 for 14.

Earlier in the evening Fazalhaq Farooqi’s five wicket haul of 5 for 15, restricted the Dubai Capitals to 133/8. 

Brandon McMullen’s half-century of 58 runs in 42 balls, helped the Capitals recover from a poor start, while Rovman Powell also made an important contribution of 25 runs to give their bowlers something to defend.

The MI Emirates’ innings suffered an early setback as Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher were both picked up by Olly Stone for ducks, in the powerplay.

MI Emirates’ woes worsened as they went on to lose Tom Banton for just seven runs to Farhan Khan while Kusal Perera fell after scoring only 12 runs off the bowling of Obed McCoy to leave MI Emirates reeling at 23/4 in 4.3 overs.

Coming in at number five, skipper Nicholas Pooran dispatched Farhan Khan over square leg for a maximum, followed by a boundary with a lofted off-drive to make his intentions crystal clear. 

The MI Emirates finished their powerplay at 33/4.

Akeal Hosein joined Pooran as the pair went on to construct a vital partnership of 79 runs in 64 balls.

At the 10 over mark, MI Emirates needed 80 runs in 60 deliveries. 

Signalling a change of momentum in the 11th over, Pooran heaved Sikandar Raza for six over mid-wicket. 

Akeal Hosein also took down Raza for a six down the ground to complete the most lucrative over of the innings until then with 14 runs.

The partnership was finally broken when Akeal Hosein was scalped by Gulbadin Naib with the scoreline at 103/2 in 15.2 overs. 

Hosein finished his innings with 30 runs in 31 balls. Soon after Pooran brought up his half century with a six, reaching the milestone in just 36 balls.

With the MI Emirates needing 16 runs in 15 balls, Gulbadin Naib struck twice in three balls. Naib flummoxed Nicholas Pooran with a slower ball and followed it up with the wicket of Alzarri Joseph.

Olly Stone delivered a shrewd 19th over, conceding only one run. The onus was on the experienced Kieron Pollard to finish proceedings in the final over bowled by Farhan Khan. However, the veteran could only manage 11 runs of the 13 needed to hand the Capitals a thrilling last ball victory.

Put in first the Dubai Capitals had a slow start to their innings, managing only 30 runs in the powerplay and losing Shai Hope to Fazalhaq Farooqi in the process. Adam Rossington was also castled by Alzarri Joseph as both openers only managed nine runs each.

Scottish batter, Brandon McMullen set out on a repair job, notching a crucial half century in just 33 balls. 

McMullen’s knock of 58 runs in 42 balls comprised four fours and three sixes, before he became Fazalhaq Farooqi’s second of the night in the 17th over.

Meanwhile Capitals’ skipper Sikandar Raza’s was scalped by Zahoor Khan in the 11th over after scoring ten runs in ten deliveries.

Rovman Powell hit the ground running, quickly making his way to 25 runs in 20 balls, including two towering sixes. Powell’s threatening stint at the crease was derailed by a toe-crushing yorker from Fazalhaq Farooqi in the 19th over.

The same over saw Fazalhaq Farooqi complete his five-wicket haul with Dasun Shananka, who struck a quick fire 13 runs, followed by Olly Stone for a golden duck.

The Capitals only managed four runs in the final over to finish the innings at 133/8 in 20 overs.

Reflecting on the victory, Player of the match, Gulbadin Naib said, “That is the beauty of cricket and T20. Not a good total on the board, but we defended it, with the guys giving 100%. The pitch was helping the bowlers a lot. Not easy for the batters. We just tried to keep it stump to stump, and we did it.”

Where and when to watch

The third season of the DP World ILT20 kicked off on Saturday 11 January and will run through to 9 February 2025.

Fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television daily to watch the entire season live.

For information and important updates be sure to follow Ariana Television's social media pages. 

The broadcasting schedule is as follows: