Sport
Gill stars as Gujarat Titans enter IPL top four; Kolkata’s winless run continues
All IPL matches are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television Network across Afghanistan.
Indian Premier League action delivered another dramatic finish as the Gujarat Titans surged into the top four with a composed five-wicket victory over the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders.
Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a commanding 86 off 50 balls, anchoring Gujarat’s chase of 181 and guiding his side home with two balls to spare at 181-5. The win marks Gujarat’s third consecutive triumph and underlines their growing momentum in the tournament.
Kolkata, meanwhile, remain without a win this season, having lost five matches while one fixture was abandoned due to rain. Despite a much-needed return to form from Cameron Green, their campaign continues to falter.
Green struck 79 off 55 deliveries in a lone battle, but lacked consistent support as Kolkata were bowled out for 180 on the final ball. Early damage from Kagiso Rabada (3-29) left them reeling at 32-3 in the powerplay, putting pressure on the middle order once again.
After winning the toss, Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane opted for an aggressive approach, but his plan quickly unraveled when he fell first ball to Mohammed Siraj. Though partnerships involving Rovman Powell (27) and Anukul Roy helped rebuild, a late collapse saw five wickets fall for just 26 runs in the death overs.
Gujarat’s chase began explosively, with Gill and Sai Sudharsan (22) putting on 57 runs inside five overs. Jos Buttler added a brisk 25, maintaining the required rate with attacking stroke play.
Gill reached his half-century in just 27 balls, showcasing control against both pace and spin. Though he fell late in the innings, slicing Vaibhav Arora to Green, the foundation he set proved decisive.
Saturday’s matches
Attention now shifts to Saturday’s matches, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Delhi Capitals, while Sunrisers Hyderabad face Chennai Super Kings. Both fixtures are expected to have significant implications for the standings as teams push for early dominance in the competition.
All IPL matches are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television Network across Afghanistan.
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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