Sport

IPL: PBKS keep playoff hopes alive as Shreyas Iyer’s century sinks LSG

Published

6 months ago

May 24, 2026

The playoff race in the TATA IPL 2026 intensified on Saturday as Punjab Kings (PBKS) kept their hopes alive with a commanding seven-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 68 at the Ekana Stadium.

Led by a sensational unbeaten century from captain Shreyas Iyer, PBKS successfully chased down a daunting 197-run target with two overs to spare, ending a painful six-match losing streak in dramatic fashion.

Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first, but LSG opener Josh Inglis came out firing, smashing 16 runs in the opening over bowled by Arshdeep Singh.

PBKS responded quickly through Azmatullah Omarzai, who dismissed Arshin Kulkarni for a first-ball duck, while Marco Jansen removed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran cheaply to leave LSG struggling at 20 for 2.

Despite the early setbacks, Josh Inglis anchored the innings superbly with a blistering 72 off 44 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. He received strong support from Ayush Badoni, who played an explosive knock of 43 from just 18 deliveries to shift the momentum back in LSG’s favour.

Veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal then produced a crucial spell for Punjab, claiming 2 for 25. He removed Badoni with the help of a sharp stumping from wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh before also dismissing LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.

Late fireworks from Abdul Samad, who blasted an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls, lifted LSG to a competitive 196 for 6.

Punjab’s chase got off to the worst possible start when veteran pacer Mohammed Shami struck with the very first ball of the innings, dismissing Priyansh Arya for a golden duck. Shami struck again soon after to remove Cooper Connolly, leaving PBKS reeling at 22 for 2.

With the pressure mounting and their season hanging in the balance, Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh produced a magnificent 140-run partnership for the third wicket.

Prabhsimran attacked aggressively, hammering 69 from 39 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes, while Iyer paced the innings to perfection before launching a devastating assault on the LSG bowlers.

Even after Prabhsimran’s dismissal, Iyer continued to dominate, bringing up a stunning unbeaten 101 off just 51 deliveries at a strike rate of 198.04. His innings featured 11 fours and five sixes as PBKS cruised to 200 for 3 in exactly 18 overs.

The TATA IPL 2026 action continues today with a double-header as Mumbai Indians take on the Rajasthan Royals, while later in the day Kolkata Knight Riders face the Delhi Capitals.

Fans across Afghanistan can watch all the excitement live on Ariana Television, which is broadcasting the matches live nationwide.

Related Topics:#LSG Cricket featured IPL PBKS

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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.