Sport

India retain pride in defeat after tournament to remember

Published

3 years ago

November 20, 2023

India coach Rahul Dravid says he is exceptionally proud of all of his players, singling out captain Rohit Sharma for particular praise, after the team’s run to the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

India won 10 straight matches to reach the final on home soil, but were beaten on the day by an Australian side who delivered in all facets of the game to run out winners by six wickets.

But India’s head coach was still full of pride in his team’s efforts across the whole campaign.

“We ran a really good campaign,” Dravid said. “I’m really proud of the boys, the way we played right through this tournament, the kind of cricket we played, just the quality of cricket that we played right through this tournament, I thought was quite exceptional. So really proud of the efforts, proud of everything that we gave.

“Just at the last step in the final we probably didn’t have our best game and credit to Australia. My congratulations to them. They played really well on the day and they were better than us.”

Captain Rohit finished the campaign as the second-highest scorer, setting the tone at the top of the innings.

And out on the field his captaincy was notably excellent, with Dravid saying that he couldn’t have asked for any more from his skipper.

“I think he’s been an exceptional leader,” the coach said. “You know, Rohit’s really led this team fantastically well, I think he’s certainly got the dressing room. I just think he’s given so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys.

“He’s always been available for any of our conversations, any of our meetings. Sometimes there’s been a lot of planning, a lot of strategy that goes in. He’s always committed to those things. He’s given a lot of his personal time, energy into this campaign.

“And his batting as well, I thought it was fantastic, the way he set the tone for us. We knew that we wanted to play a certain way. We wanted to play a positive attacking brand of cricket. And he was very committed to doing that. And he wanted to lead by example. And I thought right through the tournament, he was quite superb in doing that. I just can’t speak more highly of him as a person and as a leader.”

A disappointing slide with the bat saw India go from 80/2 after the Powerplay in the final to 240 all out, struggling to unleash the shackles against an Australian bowling attack that kept things extremely tight during the middle overs.

Dravid said it wasn’t necessarily a tactic for India to slow down the tempo to the extent that they did, pointing to Australia’s excellence with the ball and the loss of wickets at key times as the reason that his team fell short of a target that would have been more competitive on the day.

“In hindsight, I think we fell about 30-40 runs short. It’s not that we were looking to bat it out. I thought they bowled well through that period. I thought it just felt like the ball was stopping in the afternoon a little bit more than it did in the evening. And not that there was a lot of dew, to be honest, but just felt like the ball came on to the bat a lot better in the evening,” Dravid added.

“We were rotating the strike, but we weren’t able to hit those boundaries. And yeah, there was a conscious effort to try and take the game deep, but we kept losing wickets. We just lost wickets just when we felt that we built a partnership and we can start going. We lost a wicket, we lost Virat (Kohli), then we lost Jaddu (Jadeja) and then we lost (KL) Rahul. So, we just kept losing wickets at critical intervals and probably felt that we were about 40 runs short.

“I mean, I know in the end it looked like they would have chased even 40 runs more. But if we had got to 280, 290, and they were 60 for 3, then it might have been a very different game.”

India’s wait for victory at a major men’s ICC event goes on, with their 2011 Cricket World Cup triumph and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy success now seeming a very long time ago.

But, in contrast to some of the nation’s previous losses, Dravid says this defeat was not a case of the occasion or pressure getting to the team.

“I didn’t feel at any stage going into this game that there were any nerves or the guys were intimidated by the game or they were concerned about the game. I think they were looking forward to it. We were excited about the game,” he said.

“I thought there was energy and the mental space the boys were in leading into this particular game was spot-on was terrific. Just on the day we probably didn’t execute, and Australia played better than us.”

As for Dravid’s future, he refused to be drawn on the subject at this stage.

“I was completely focused on this campaign, focused on this World Cup, and there was nothing else on my mind. And I haven’t given any other thought to what happens in the future,” the coach said.

India’s men return to action in just four days’ time for a T20I series against Australia.

Up Next

Afghanistan to tour India for three-match T20I series in January

Don't Miss

Australia beats India to win Cricket World Cup for sixth time as Head hits 137

Sport

Afghanistan face Ireland with series win in sight

Published

5 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan will look to extend their dominance over Ireland when the two sides meet in the fourth ODI of their five-match series at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, in Belfast today.

Afghanistan lead the series 2-0 and have already secured an automatic place at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after their three-wicket victory over Ireland in the third ODI.

The opening match of the series was abandoned because of rain, but Afghanistan have since won two consecutive matches.

They beat Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI before chasing down 207 in the third match, with Rashid Khan and Yamin Ahmadzai guiding the visitors home with an unbeaten partnership.

Rashid has been central to Afghanistan’s success. He produced a six-wicket haul in the second ODI and followed it with an all-round performance in the third, taking three wickets and scoring a crucial 37 not out. Rahmanullah Gurbaz also made a valuable 71 in the third match. ⁠

Ireland, meanwhile, will be determined to halt Afghanistan’s momentum.

Their batting has struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling attack, particularly the spin threat posed by Rashid and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. The hosts will need a stronger start from their top order and more substantial partnerships if they are to challenge the visitors.

With Afghanistan already assured of the series, the fourth ODI gives Ireland an opportunity to restore some pride and keep their hopes of finishing the series strongly alive. Afghanistan, however, will be aiming for another convincing performance and a 3-0 series advantage.

The match begins at 10:45am local time in Belfast, which is 2:15pm Kabul time. It will be played over 50 overs at Stormont. ⁠

Afghanistan will enter the contest with confidence after a run of strong results, while Ireland face the challenge of finding a way through an attack that has repeatedly exposed their batting weaknesses.

Sport

Afghanistan to host India for three-match T20I series in Delhi

Afghanistan most recently toured India for a Test and three-match ODI series in June, while the two teams also played a three-match T20I series in January 2024.

Published

6 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed that Afghanistan will host India for a three-match T20 International series in Delhi from September 13 to 17.

The matches will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, with the first T20I scheduled for September 13, followed by the second on September 15 and the third on September 17.

The series is part of Afghanistan’s Future Tours Program and will be played in India, where the ACB has hosted its home fixtures in recent years.

Afghanistan most recently toured India for a Test and three-match ODI series in June, while the two teams also played a three-match T20I series in January 2024.

The upcoming series marks the first bilateral event to be hosted by the ACB in India.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf described the series as a significant milestone for Afghanistan cricket and praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its cooperation and support.

“Hosting India for a bilateral series in India is a significant milestone for us,” Ashraf said. He added that the series would create opportunities in commercial, technical and cricketing areas while further strengthening the relationship between the two boards.

BCCI President Mithun Manhas said the BCCI remained committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players with opportunities to compete against quality opposition.

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said the series would complete the two teams’ bilateral competition across all three formats following their recent Test and ODI series.

“India hosting Afghanistan for their historic first Test in 2018 was another significant milestone in this journey,” Saikia said.

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley said the Arun Jaitley Stadium was ready to welcome both teams and provide fans with an exciting international cricket series.

The series will be titled the “E& Afghanistan vs India T20I Series 2026, powered by Super Cola”.

Series schedule:

September 13 — 1st T20I, Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi

September 15 — 2nd T20I, Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi

September 17 — 3rd T20I, Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi

Sport

Abasin Defenders beat Shamshad Eagles by four wickets in Kabul Premier League

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2026

Ariana News

Abasin Defenders chased down a target of 155 to beat Shamshad Eagles by four wickets in the fourth match of the Kabul Premier League at Ayoubi Cricket Ground in Kabul on Sunday night.

Shamshad Eagles, who won the toss and elected to bat first, were bowled out for 154 in 15.5 overs.

Mohammad Shahzad top-scored for the Eagles with 57 from 39 balls, while Muslim Musa provided a powerful late contribution with 50 off just 22 deliveries.

Abdollah Ahmadzai was the standout bowler for the Defenders, claiming five wickets for 19 runs from three overs. His spell earned him Player of the Match honours.

Rohed Janzai also took three wickets for 53 runs as the Defenders dismissed the Eagles with 25 balls still remaining in their innings.

The Defenders made a confident start to the chase but lost wickets at regular intervals. Waleed Miakhil anchored the innings, remaining unbeaten on 37 from 29 balls, including two fours and two sixes.

Mohammad Akram added a crucial 25 from just nine balls to keep the chase on track, while Mohammad Amin finished the match in style, hitting an unbeaten seven from three deliveries, including a six.

The Defenders reached 158 for six in 18.1 overs, sealing victory with 11 balls to spare.

Mohammad Gul Alizai was the Eagles’ most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 38 runs from four overs.

The victory gave Abasin Defenders two points, while Shamshad Eagles finished the match without a point.

The result marked the Defenders’ first victory of the Kabul Premier League season.