Sport

India hammer England to book T20 World Cup final with South Africa

Published

1 year ago

June 28, 2024

Left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel took three wickets apiece as India thrashed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday to set up a T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

England, set a challenging target of 172, slumped to 103 all out inside 17 overs, wrist spinner Kuldeep finishing with figures of 3-19 and the orthodox Patel 3-23.

India, bidding for their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy, will now play South Africa — also unbeaten at this tournament after a nine-wicket hammering of Afghanistan in their semi-final — in Saturday’s final in Barbados.

The Kensington Oval clash will also be India’s second appearance in successive global showpiece games after they lost on home soil to Australia in last year’s 50-over World Cup final.

“It’s very satisfying to win this game,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma after his team gained revenge for a humiliating 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

“We worked really hard as a unit. To win like that was a great effort from everybody.”

Rohit laid the foundations by top-scoring with 57 in a total of 171-7 after his side were somewhat surprisingly sent into bat by England skipper Jos Buttler.

It was the opener’s third fifty of the tournament and second in as many games following his blistering 92 against Australia.

– ‘India outplayed us’ –

India were 40-2 in the powerplay after Virat Kohli (nine) and Rishabh Pant (four) both fell cheaply.

But a third-wicket stand of 73 between Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav (47), spanning a rain delay of over an hour, turned the tide.

Patel, the player of the match, said: “I knew that the wicket was stopping and had something for the bowlers…Our batters told us the pitch wasn’t easy to hit the ball. We felt it (171) was a good total.”

Defeat meant the only Test side that England had beaten at this event were co-hosts the West Indies, with the title-holders also losing to Australia and South Africa.

“India outplayed us, certainly,” said Buttler. “We let them maybe get 20-25 too many (runs) on a challenging surface that they played well on. They fully deserved to win.

“They’ve got some fantastic spinners. Our two (Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone) bowled well but in hindsight, probably should’ve bowled Moeen (Ali) in our innings with the way spin was playing.

“But with a good score and their brilliant bowling attack, it was always going to be a tough chase.

Buttler launched England’s reply with a brisk 23. When he attempted to reverse sweep Patel’s first ball, however, he clipped a gentle catch off the toe-end of the bat to wicketkeeper Pant.

Fellow opener Phil Salt was then clean bowled by Jasprit Bumrah’s well-disguised slower ball.

England then saw 34-2 become 35-3 when Patel bowled dangerman Jonny Bairstow for a duck.

Moeen was then stumped by Pant and when Sam Curran was lbw to Kuldeep, England were in dire straits at 49-5 in the ninth over.

Wickets continued to tumble and when Livingstone, the last of England’s specialist batsmen, was run out for 11 after a dreadful mix-up with Jofra Archer, England were all but beaten at 86-8.

Archer struck a couple of defiant sixes but Bumrah ended the match when he had the England paceman lbw for 21 with a low full toss.

(AFP)

Related Topics:#T20WorldCup ArianaNews england featured final India

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Afghan Abdalyan beat Sri Lanka A by 3 wickets in Rising Stars Asia Cup opener

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3 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Ariana News

The Afghanistan A national cricket team (Afghan Abdalyan) defeated the Sri Lanka A cricket team by a margin of three wickets in the opening match of Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025.

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Bilal Sami played a key role, scoring 45 runs and taking four wickets.

In their next match, Afghanistan A will face Bangladesh A on 17 November.

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Afghanistan wins first-ever gold medal at Islamic Solidarity Games

Published

15 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Ariana News

Mohammad Yousuf Jahangir made history on Friday by securing Afghanistan’s first-ever gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. The Muay Thai fighter claimed the top spot in the 75 kg category after defeating his Turkish opponent, Mohammad Ali, in the final.

A total of 69 Afghan athletes are competing across 13 sporting disciplines at this year’s Games. Afghanistan’s representatives are participating in athletics (2), boxing (2), futsal (14), ju-jitsu (7), karate (3), muay thai (2), swimming (4), table tennis (2), taekwondo (5), volleyball (12), weightlifting (4), wrestling (9), and wushu (3).

This year marks Afghanistan’s largest-ever delegation at the Islamic Solidarity Games, highlighting renewed national efforts to strengthen sports development and expand the country’s presence in international competitions.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is serving as Afghanistan’s official broadcaster for the Games, allowing fans nationwide to tune in daily and follow the action live.

The Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 officially opened in Riyadh on Friday, November 7, and will run until November 21. Approximately 3,500 athletes from 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are competing in 21 sports and two para-sports. The event returns to Saudi Arabia after 20 years, with the inaugural Games having been held there in 2005.

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Excitement builds as ATN gears up for live coverage of Afghanistan Champions League

The Afghanistan Champions League is one of the country’s most prestigious football tournaments, featuring top clubs and elite players from across the provinces. The event aims to elevate the standard of Afghan football, inspire young players, and celebrate national unity through sport.

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2025

Ariana News

The countdown has begun! With just nine days left before the kickoff of the Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) Season 5, excitement is growing among football fans across the country.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured exclusive rights to produce, host and broadcast the entire tournament live across Afghanistan, bringing every match, goal, and moment of drama straight to fans’ screens.

This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, November 22 and run for a month.

The draw will meanwhile take place on Sunday evening, November 16, from 7pm Kabul time and will be broadcast and streamed live on Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN), Ariana News, as well as on Ariana Sport’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.

According to organizers, preparations are in full swing for what promises to be a thrilling season. Teams are finalizing their squads, stadiums are being readied, and fans are eagerly awaiting the first whistle. The competition will feature intense matchups, highlighting both established

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An ATN spokesperson said the network is fully prepared to deliver comprehensive live coverage throughout the tournament. “Ariana Television Network is proud to bring the excitement of the Afghanistan Champions League to every corner of the country. Football unites us all, and ATN is committed to showcasing the best of Afghan sport,” the spokesperson said.

The Afghanistan Champions League stands as a symbol of the nation’s resilience and passion for sport — and with only nine days to go, the stage is set for a celebration of skill, teamwork, and national pride, all broadcast live only on Ariana Television.

This year, 10 teams will battle it out for the trophy. The teams are as follows: