Sport
ILT20: Franchise owners and players upbeat about the new league
It’s been almost a week since the maiden match in the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates and while stadiums haven’t as yet filled up, the stakeholders – players, franchise owners, sponsors and broadcasters alike – are happy with it so far.
Venky Mysore, the CEO of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, part of the Knight Riders brand with a presence in various T20 leagues, said in an interview with Cricbuzz: “Optics may not be great but all the franchises are happy with the business model and how it is being organized.
“It is the only tournament where the owners will not suffer losses like other leagues happening simultaneously,” he said.
But without any major Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi participation, the crowds have been staying away. However, television audiences have been strong.
“The tournament has been doing very well back home in India. There were 1.5 million concurrent viewers for the opening ceremony in which some international stars performed. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of Knight Riders, was a huge hit,” says an official of Zee TV, the broadcasters of the league.
Emirates Cricket Board’s secretary general Mubashir Usmani told Cricbuzz the fun is yet to come. “The intensity of the competition will heat-up as the teams aim to position themselves at the top of the league’s table, the viewer at home and abroad, through the top-quality production and broadcast, is in for an absolute feast of engaging, thrilling cricketing action,” he said.
More than anything else, the tournament is being seen as a much-wanted initiative for the UAE players, who, otherwise unheralded in world cricket, are coming into their own.
In the second game of the league MI Emirates’ Muhammad Waseem, a UAE batsman, emerged as the player of the match for a batting performance that overshadowed stalwarts of his side like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Dwayne Bravo. In the third game, local bowler Sanchit Sharma claimed the honors for the Adani-owned Gulf Giants, Cricbuzz reported.
“It is a unique league with a few teams new to franchise cricket. It is based in the UAE where a lot of cricket is played here, be it the ICC or Asian or Pakistan events. It is the first tournament of their own and there is a huge cricketing community here. It can only grow,” says Tom Moody, the head of the Desert Vipers side.
Afghan cricket fans can also tune in to watch this new league as Ariana Television is broadcasting each match live. For the full broadcast schedule CLICK HERE.
The Afghanistan Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s under-15 national football team has qualified for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the country’s youth football development.
According to the federation, the qualification comes as a result of sustained efforts and strategic planning aimed at strengthening grassroots football across Afghanistan.
The federation said the successful organization of under-14 competitions in different zones of the country helped pave the way for the U-15 national team to secure a place in the global tournament.
In a statement, the federation said the achievement also follows efforts by its leadership, particularly Mohammad Yousuf Kargar, who held discussions with officials of FIFA while emphasizing the development of youth football in Afghanistan.
The tournament, part of FIFA’s global talent development program, aims to nurture young players, improve technical ability, provide international exposure, and prepare the next generation of footballers.
The competition will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, 2026, with under-15 teams from FIFA member nations set to participate.
Players born in 2011 and 2012 will be eligible for the tournament.
Matches will be played in an 8-versus-8 format designed to maximize ball involvement, develop individual skills, improve decision-making, and provide young players with valuable international competition experience.
Afghanistan’s participation is being seen as a major opportunity for the country’s emerging football talent to compete on the world stage and further elevate the profile of Afghan youth football.
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.
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