International Sports
IPL 2025: Kohli snatches Orange Cap back from Sai Sudharsan
Josh Hazlewood sat the RCB vs CSK game out, and missed a chance to earn the Purple Cap back from Prasidh Krishna
The Orange Cap continues to change heads after most match at this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), while the Purple Cap holder remains pretty much intact.
On Saturday night, Virat Kohli reclaimed the Orange Cap after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
It didn’t take Virat Kohli long to take back the honor, after B Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat Titans (GT) opener, won it back from Kohli on Friday.
But Kohli snatched it right back when he scored 62 in 33 balls for RCB against CSK at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. There’s not much between them: Kohli is on 505 runs from 11 innings, while Sai Sudharsan is one run behind, from one fewer innings.
The line-up below them remains unchanged: Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians, 475 runs), Jos Buttler (GT, 470 runs), Shubman Gill (GT, 465 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals, 439 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants, 404 runs).
Now, while Kohli is the top run-getter, RCB’s next most prolific run-scorer is Devdutt Padikkal with just 247 runs, down at No. 26.
The Purple Cap table has not seen this dynamic in the top three and although Josh Hazlewood didn’t play the game against CSK, he remains one wicket behind table-topper Prasidh Krishna of GT. Prasidh has 19 wickets from ten games, while Hazlewood has 18 from ten.
Khaleel Ahmed’s wicketless – and very expensive – outing meant he remained at 14 wickets for the season, but his team-mate Noor Ahmad got back on level terms with MI’s Trent Boult at 16 wickets to be joint-third.
Krunal Pandya picked up one wicket for RCB against CSK, and that took him to 14, the same as Khaleel as well as GT’s Mohammed Siraj and Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc.
Sunday’s double-header
Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Rajasthan Royals in today’s match at Eden Gardens. The first of two matches will get underway at 2pm Kabul time.
The second match of the day will see Punjab Kings play Lucknow Super Giants at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. This match will start at 6pm.
Both matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan.
England batter Jordan Cox struck an unbeaten 61 as defending champions Dubai Capitals secured a six-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriorz to book their place in the International League T20 play-offs.
Cox’s 50-ball knock included six boundaries and a six, helping Capitals chase down a target of 135 with five deliveries remaining. Opener Shayan Jahangir also played a key role, scoring 51 from 39 balls.
Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi were both removed by Sikandar Raza, while Leus du Plooy departed cheaply, leaving Capitals at 114-4 in the 18th over. Cox then took charge to guide his team to victory.
Earlier, Sharjah Warriorz posted 134-8 from their allotted 20 overs, with West Indies batter Johnson Charles top-scoring with 43.
The Warriorz remain in contention for the final play-off spot alongside Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Meanwhile, Dubai Capitals can still finish second in the standings, giving them two opportunities to qualify for the final on 4 January.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Ariana Television tomorrow, Friday, December 26, from 7pm.
International Sports
Ariana News to broadcast key AFC Champions League Two clash
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Iraq’s Al-Zawraa in a crucial AFC Champions League Two group-stage encounter tomorrow, Wednesday December 24, as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the competition.
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
With a squad packed with international stars and attacking depth, the Saudi club will be targeting another positive result to move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.
Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq’s most successful clubs, arrive determined to bounce back and keep their continental hopes alive.
Known for their discipline and resilience, the Baghdad-based side will be looking to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on any opportunities on the counterattack.
The encounter is expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region, as the AFC Champions League Two continues to showcase competitive clashes between leading clubs.
The match will be broadcast across Afghanistan live and exclusively on Ariana News from 8:30pm.
The Dubai Capitals secured a crucial six-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, climbing to second place in the ILT20 standings and handing the Giants a fourth straight defeat.
Mustafizur Rahman starred with the ball, taking three wickets in a decisive over to help restrict the Giants to 156 all out, despite solid knocks from Azmatullah Omarzai (43) and James Vince (36).
In reply, Shayan Jahangir’s steady 48 and an unbeaten 47 from Rovman Powell guided the Capitals to victory with four balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi added a quick 25 not out to seal the chase.
In Dubai, MI Emirates continued their strong form with a composed four-wicket win over table-toppers Desert Vipers, registering their third consecutive victory of the season.
Shakib Al Hasan delivered an outstanding all-round performance, claiming 2 for 14 to limit the Vipers to 124 before anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 17. Kieron Pollard’s brisk 26 swung the momentum decisively as MI Emirates reached the target with 15 balls remaining.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and MI Emirates on Ariana Television today, Monday, December 22, from 2pm.
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