Sport

IPL 2026 Playoffs Confirmed: RCB, GT, SRH and RR reach top four

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals secured the four playoff spots after a dramatic finish to the group phase.

Published

6 months ago

May 25, 2026

Ariana News

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished top of the standings as the four-team playoff line-up for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) was confirmed at the end of the league stage on Sunday.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals secured the four playoff spots after a dramatic finish to the group phase.

RCB became the first team to book their place in the playoffs after defeating Punjab Kings on May 17. They ended the league stage on 18 points from 14 matches, edging Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad to top spot on superior net run rate.

The final playoff berth went to Rajasthan Royals, who sealed qualification with a commanding win over Mumbai Indians on the last day of the league phase. The victory took RR to 16 points and eliminated both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders from contention.

Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad also finished on 18 points, but were separated from RCB by net run rate. GT secured second place with a net run rate of 0.695, while SRH ended third with 0.524.

The playoff schedule will see RCB face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, with the winner advancing directly to the IPL final. Sunrisers Hyderabad will meet Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday, where the losing side will be knocked out. The loser of Qualifier 1 will then play the winner of the Eliminator, Wednesday’s match, in Qualifier 2 for the remaining spot in the final.

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings were among the teams to miss out after a disappointing campaign, while Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants were the first sides eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the month.

Delhi Capitals also failed to advance despite finishing with 14 points, while Punjab Kings narrowly missed out after ending fifth on 15 points.

Final IPL 2026 standings:

1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 18 points
2. Gujarat Titans – 18 points
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad – 18 points
4. Rajasthan Royals – 16 points
5. Punjab Kings – 15 points
6. Delhi Capitals – 14 points
7. Kolkata Knight Riders – 13 points
8. Chennai Super Kings – 12 points
9. Mumbai Indians – 8 points
10. Lucknow Super Giants – 8 points

The 2026 season continues a recent trend in which 16 points proved enough to secure a playoff berth, as has been the case in several IPL seasons since the tournament expanded to a 70-match league format in 2022.

Both high-stakes knockout matches will be broadcast live and exclusively in Afghanistan on Ariana TV, giving fans access to all the action as the race for the title intensifies.

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Afghanistan trail Zimbabwe by 180 runs at stumps on day two of second Test

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan ended the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at 159 for six after 48 overs, trailing by 180 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Zimbabwe, who resumed day two with a strong position after reaching 250 for five on the opening day, were bowled out for 339 in 114.5 overs in their first innings.

Afghanistan faced a challenging task in reply but managed to score 159 runs while losing six wickets by the close of play.

With a deficit of 180 runs and four wickets remaining, Afghanistan will look to build a stronger batting performance on day three and reduce the gap.

The second Test remains finely poised, with Zimbabwe holding the advantage heading into the third day.

Sport

Debutant Naseer Khan strikes four as Afghanistan fight back against Zimbabwe in second Test

Zimbabwe were well placed at 201 for one after nearly 58 overs, but Naseer triggered a middle-order collapse, taking three wickets in eight overs. Zimbabwe lost 3 for 12 during that period, and slipped from 201 for 1 to 250 for 5 at stumps.

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan fought back against Zimbabwe on the opening day of the second Test in Sharjah, with debutant left-arm spinner Naseer Khan Maroofkhil claiming four wickets to halt Zimbabwe’s strong start.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Zimbabwe made a solid start through Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran, who put together a 98-run opening partnership. Naseer broke the stand with his first delivery after lunch, trapping Curran lbw for 44.

Kaia then combined with Brendan Taylor for another strong partnership, adding 102 runs for the second wicket. Both batters reached half-centuries before Naseer turned the game around.

Kaia, batting on 96, was trapped lbw while attempting a slog sweep. In his next over, Naseer dismissed Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett for a duck before Ziaur Rahman took a tumbling catch to remove Wessly Madhevere, who was caught at long-off after attempting to loft a delivery that stayed low.

Zimbabwe lost further momentum as Taylor and Antum Naqvi adopted a cautious approach following the three quick wickets. The pair added just 21 runs in nine overs before Naqvi struck a six off Naseer.

Taylor moved into the 90s with a boundary off Naseer, but Ziaur Rahman ended Naqvi’s 44-ball stay on eight runs, having him caught at first slip.

Taylor remained unbeaten on 96 at stumps, while Tafadzwa Tsiga was not out as Zimbabwe closed the day at 250 for five, leaving the second Test finely poised.

Sport

Argentina clinch futsal gold after defeating Portugal in Dakar 2026 final

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

Ariana News

Argentina claimed their first-ever men’s futsal gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final.

The closely contested match at Dakar Arena saw both teams enter the final with perfect records, having won all three of their group-stage matches. However, Argentina emerged victorious, with captain Lorenzo Sampedro scoring the decisive goal six minutes before the end of regular time.

Argentina’s triumph adds another chapter to the country’s Olympic football success, following the gold medals won by its men’s football team at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Argentina head coach Mariano Alberto Gomez praised his players for their performance, saying they had represented their country with pride after a lengthy preparation and participation in several tournaments.

Portugal’s Joao Carvalho expressed disappointment at missing out on gold but praised his team’s journey, saying the final was decided by small mistakes.

Earlier, Morocco secured the bronze medal after defeating Afghanistan 2-1 in the third-place playoff.

Afghanistan came close to forcing a late comeback, scoring with just 13 seconds remaining, but Morocco held on to secure third place.

Morocco coach Zakaria Kairi said winning an Olympic medal was a significant achievement for his young players, despite the team falling short of its original target of reaching the final and winning gold.

The results confirmed Argentina as futsal champions, Portugal as runners-up and Morocco in third place at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.