Sport

India’s Rohit Sharma breaks silence for first time since World Cup Final

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2023

(Last Updated On: )

India captain Rohit Sharma has spoken out for the first time since his side suffered defeat in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Final against Australia.

India embarked on a dream journey in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at home, securing victories in all 10 matches leading up to the Final against Australia on November 19.

However, it all ended in heartbreak for India as they faltered in the final step with Australia clinching their sixth title on the night in Ahmedabad.

The Men in Blue had little time to digest the outcome, returning to the field just four days after the Finale. They faced Australia in a five-match T20I series, followed by the ongoing all-format tour of South Africa.

In the midst of it all, Rohit Sharma has taken a well-deserved break, opting out of the white-ball series against Australia and South Africa and simultaneously stepping away from the public eye. Now, more than three weeks after the Final, the Indian skipper took to social media to open up about his emotions after missing out on cricket’s biggest prize.

“I had no idea how to come back from this the first few days,” Rohit Sharma said in a video posted on social media. “I don’t know what to do. You know, my family, my friends kept me going, kept things pretty light around me, which was quite helpful.”

“It wasn’t easy to digest, but yeah, life moves on. But honestly, it was tough. It was not so easy to just move on. I’ve always grown up watching 50-over World Cup and to me, that was, you know, the ultimate prize, the 50-over World Cup.

“We’ve worked all these years for that World Cup and it is disappointing, right? If you don’t get through it and you don’t get what you want, what you’ve been looking for all this while, what you were dreaming of, you get disappointed and you get frustrated as well.”

The skipper was however extremely proud of the effort put in by the players leading up to the final, which included a 10-match unbeaten run. Setting a stellar example with aggressive strokeplay at the top, Rohit received solid support from Virat Kohli, who emerged as the highest run-getter in the tournament.

“At times I thought we did everything we could from our side if someone asked me what went wrong because we won 10 games and in those 10 games, yes, we made mistakes. But those mistakes happen in every game,” Rohit continued.

“You cannot have a perfect game. You can have a near-perfect game but never a perfect game.

“If you look at the other side, I am really proud of the team as well because how we played was simply outstanding. You don’t get to perform like that every World Cup,” he said.

Rohit also conveyed a heartfelt message to the fans who supported the team not only during the World Cup but also in the aftermath of the defeat, providing him with added motivation to guide India to future glory.

“It would have given people a lot of joy, a lot of pride watching the team play after that finals, it was very hard to get back and start moving, which is why I decided that I need to go somewhere and just get my mind out of out of this,” Rohit said in the conclusion of the video.

“But then wherever I was, I realized that people were coming up to me and there they were, appreciating everyone’s effort, how well we played.

“I feel for all of them. Because they all along with us, they were dreaming of lifting that World Cup along with us everywhere we went during this entire World Cup campaign, there was so much support from everyone, you know, who came to the stadium firstly, and then people who are watching it from home as well.

“I want to appreciate what people have done for us in that 1-1/2 months. But again, if I think more and more on that, I just feel quite disappointed that we were not able to go through, all the way. For me to see people coming up to me and telling me that they were very proud of the team made me feel really good to a certain extent.

“And along with them, I was healing as well because I felt OK. You know, this is the kind of thing that you want to hear. It was just pure love from the people that I met and it was wonderful to see that.

“So, it gives you motivation to get back and start working again and look for another ultimate prize.”

Rohit Sharma will be back in action to lead India in the World Test Championship series against South Africa, starting with the December 26 Test in Centurion. India are currently second in the WTC25 standings with a 66.67-point percentage while the Proteas are yet to play a game in the current cycle.

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ACB names Afghanistan A squad for tri-nation series

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Monday announced Afghanistan A squad for the upcoming tri-nation series against Sri Lanka A and Ireland A in the UAE.

The tour will be held from April 7 to May 2, 2025, in the UAE, which will feature a total of seven One Day matches, along with Afghanistan competing in a four-day match against each participating team.

The tour will begin on April 7 with a four-day match between Afghanistan A and Ireland A. The only four-day match will be followed by the start of the Tri-Nation One Day series on April 13, with Ireland A taking on Sri Lanka A in the series opener.

The Tri-Nation 50 Overs Series will be played in Abu Dhabi in a round-robin format, where each of the three teams will face each other twice. The top two teams from the first round will advance to the final, which is scheduled for April 25 at the same venue. Following the conclusion of the Tri-Nation Series, Afghanistan A will face Sri Lanka in a four-day match from April 29 to May 2, marking the end of the event.

Currently, Afghanistan A are undergoing a training and preparation camp in two separate groups in Nangarhar province, gearing up for both the white and red ball formats of the series.

“The Tri-Nation series and the two four-day games are incredible opportunities for our emerging cricketers to showcase their talent on the international stage and further develop their skills,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan stated. “We are committed to identifying promising players for the red-ball format as part of our plans to build a strong red-ball team and improve the overall standard of red-ball cricket in the country.”

ACB Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Suliman Khail added: “We have selected our squad to strike a balance between providing opportunities for our players and ensuring the competitiveness needed to win matches. The squad includes nationally contracted bench players in various roles, along with some top-performing and impactful emerging players.

“We hope they perform well and, with their abilities and preparations, continue to develop their skills and contribute to the team’s success during the tour.”

Afghanistan A Squad for the four-day matches: Darwish Rasooli (C), Abdul Malik (VC), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Imran Mir, Bahir Shah Mahboob, Ijaz Mehri, Shams Ur Rahman, Ismat Alam, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Arab Gul Momand, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Bashir Ahmad and Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Afghanistan A squad for the Tri-Nation Series: Darwish Rasooli (C), Sediqullah Atal (VC), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Abdul Malik, Zubaid Akbari, Ijaz Mehri, Bilal Ahmad Tarin, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, Abdul Rahman Rahmani and Bilal Sami.

In addition, Mohammad Saleem, Khalil Gurbaz, Yama Arab, and Faridoon Dawoodzai are part of the reserve pool with both squads.

Sport

AFC Beach Soccer: UAE thrash Afghanistan 7-1 in opener

Published

3 days ago

March 21, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Afghanistan’s national beach soccer team lost 7-1 to the United Arab Emirates in Friday’s opening match at the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 in Thailand.

Afghanistan will face Iran in their second group-stage match next Sunday.

In this year’s tournament, the Afghan team is placed in Group C alongside Iran, UAE, and Indonesia.

Sport

IPL 2025 celebrates 18 years of immense success

Published

6 days ago

March 18, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

With just four days to go until the opening match of this year’s IPL, cricket fever is already taking hold and for fans across Afghanistan, Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will once again bring this thrilling event into the homes of Afghans in the country.

This year’s IPL is in fact the 18th season and has undoubtedly become a firm favorite on the world’s annual cricket schedule.

The popularity of the IPL is so immense that the cumulative brand value was estimated at $12 billion in 2024, a 13% increase from $10.7 billion in 2023, according to the 17th Brand Finance IPL 2024 valuation report.

According to Brand Finance, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) leads as the most valuable IPL franchise in 2024, with a brand valuation of $122 million.

This 52% growth is attributed largely to the enduring legacy of their former captain MS Dhoni.

CSK is followed by Mumbai Indians, which is valued at $119 million and
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is worth $117 million.

Defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders is at $109 million; Sunrisers Hyderabad is $85 million; Rajasthan Royals is $81 million and Delhi Capitals is $80 million.

Saturday’s opener will see KKR take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.

IPL 2025 gets underway on Saturday, March 22, and runs for two months, ending on May 25.

IPL fans can tune in to Ariana Television from 6:15pm for a pre-match show on Saturday. The KKRvsRCB match will start at 6:30pm

For more news and updates follow us on social media and watch this space.