Karim Janat shined with the bat and ball as Afghanistan's A cricket team defeated Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of a tri-nation series in Oman on Sunday.

Sent to bat by Afghans who won the toss, Hong Kong posted 111-3 as they played all the mandated 20 overs.

Afghanistan A chased down the target in 13.5 overs.

Karim Janat made 47 runs off 27 balls. Earlier, he had taken three wickets.

Zubaid Akbari contributed with 37 off 28 balls.

Afghanistan will play Oman in their next match of the series on Monday.

Oman defeated Afghanistan A by seven wickets in the first warm-up game on Wednesday ahead of a tri-nation series and the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Batting first after winning the toss in the 20-over match, Afghanistan A made 143 before they were all out in the 19.4 overs, with Sharafuddin Ashraf blasting 53 off 35 (not out).

Oman chased down the target in the 18.3 overs. Shoaib Khan made 64 while Jatinder Singh contributed 30.

Rafiullah of Oman A picked up four wickets.

The second and last warm-up match between the sides will be held on Thursday, and on Sunday, Afghanistan A will play their first match of the tri-nation series against Hong Kong.

The curtain came down on the tenth edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024 in dramatic style on Sunday night as Brazil made history in Tashkent by beating Argentina 2-1 to win a record-extending sixth title, adding to the ones they claimed in 1989, 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012.

In a historic final – the first between two teams from South America – Ferrão and Rafael gave Brazil a 2-0 half-time lead before Argentina ended a period of incessant pressure by pulling one back through Matías Rosa. 

Brazil clung on for a dramatic last two minutes to hand Argentina, the champions in 2016, a second successive Final defeat and only their second loss in their last 21 FIFA Futsal World Cup matches.

Brazil, who have won five out of the six finals they have appeared in, finished the tournament with seven wins from seven games and only six goals conceded, their best-ever defensive performance. 

The evening began with the third-place playoff, which ended with Ukraine claiming bronze and their best-ever FIFA Futsal World Cup finish; with a 7-1 victory against France – who were making their first ever appearance at the Finals. 

Despite ending with familiar winners – the tenth edition of futsal’s greatest competition was a tournament of firsts. 

It was the first time FIFA had staged an event in Central Asia; with more than 150,000 fans attending the games spread between the three host cities of Tashkent, Andijan and Bukhara. 

The tournament – which featured 24 teams from all six confederations – was also broadcast or streamed live in over 175 territories around the world – as the popularity of the game of futsal continues to grow at an exponential rate.

It was also the first time four nations took to courts on the highest stage of them all – as New Zealand, Tajikistan and Afghanistan joined France in competing in the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time.