Sport
Bangladesh beats Afghanistan despite Janat hat-trick
Afghanistan’s Karim Janat grabbed a hat-trick in the final over but Bangladesh held their nerve to sneak a two-wicket win with just a ball to spare in the first T20 international in Sylhet on Friday.
The hosts seemed to be cruising towards victory in the first encounter of the two-match series after Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain put on 73 runs for the fifth wicket in reply to Afghanistan’s 154-7.
Then drama erupted at the Sylhet International Stadium.
Rashid Khan removed Shamim for 33 to break the partnership, but Bangladesh were still favorites needing only six runs from the final over, AFP reported.
Instead Janat dismissed Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed with the second, third and fourth balls of the over, leaving the hosts still two runs away.
Shoriful Islam came in at number 10 to strike a powerful shot that raced to boundary, earning Bangladesh a dramatic win.
Hridoy remained unbeaten on 47 at the non-striker’s end as Janat finished with 3-15.
“We had the belief, all our tail-enders can bat. It was Shoriful’s turn today but Miraz could have finished it,” said Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan.
Rashid, the Afghanistan captain, lamented his side’s inability to defend their total.
“With the bowling unit we have, that total was enough but in T20 one innings can take away the game from you,” he said.
The visitors struggled at the start of their innings, losing their first four wickets for 52 runs after Shakib won the toss and elected to bowl.
But Mohammad Nabi scored an unbeaten 54 from 40 balls to give Afghanistan a competitive score.
He hit the first ball he faced for four to signal his intent and kept the scoreboard ticking over, with the occasional boundary.
Najibullah Zadran provided him brief support with a run-a-ball 23 before falling to Mehidy, while Azmatullah Omarzai hit four sixes to score 33 off 18 deliveries, ensuring Afghanistan never lost their way completely.
Shakib was the hosts’ most successful bowler with 2-27.
Similarly Bangladesh were reduced to 64-4 as Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Omarzai and Fareed Ahmed each claimed a wicket before Hridoy and Shamim mounted the comeback.
The second match of the series will be held at the same ground on Sunday.
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.
The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.
The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.
Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.
Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.
The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.
Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.
Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.
It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
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