Sport
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
India batter Venkatesh Iyer smashed 60 off 29 balls to fire holders Kolkata Knight Riders to an 80-run hammering of Sunrisers Hyderabad in a comeback IPL win on Thursday.
Iyer’s knock and 91-run stand with fellow left-hander Rinku Singh propelled Kolkata to 200-6 at their home in Eden Gardens after being invited to bat first in a rematch of last year’s final, AFP reported.
Iyer proved his worth in a blitz laced with seven fours and three sixes after Kolkata paid a whopping $2.81 million for him in the November auction.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who hit 38, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who struck 50, lay the foundations of the total in their partnership of 81 after openers fell early.
Bowlers led by impact substitute Vaibhav Arora bowled Hyderabad out for 120 in 16.4 overs as Kolkata bounced back from a crushing defeat to Mumbai Indian in their previous game early this week.
“This game was really important for us,” said Rahane. “Winning by a big margin was crucial for us.”
“Last two games were not up to the mark for us. But we learned a lot from our mistakes. This is a great example for us as a batting unit.”
Kolkata moved from the bottom to fifth in the 10-team table and Hyderabad sunk to the last spot with three defeats in four matches.
“Not a great night tonight,” said Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins.
“In the mid-innings break, we thought it was gettable. It was a pretty good wicket. Gave away few too many in the field and obviously fell short (with the bat).”
Arora impact
Arora, who was named player of the match for his figures of 3-29, and spinner Varun Chakravarthy took three wickets each.
Iyer and batters set up victory despite the loss of Quinton de Kock, for one, and Sunil Narine, for seven, inside the first three overs.
Cummins took down De Kock and fellow quick Mohammed Shami dismissed Narine before Rahane hit back with a flurry of boundaries.
The 20-year-old Raghuvanshi joined forces with the captain as he reached his fifty and hit five fours and two sixes in his 32-ball knock.
Kolkata seemed to slip after Rahane and then Raghuvanshi departed and Iyer took time to get going but once set he proved destructive and smashed Cummins for three fours and a six in a 21-run 19th over.
Iyer, who fell in the final over, and Rinku, who hit 32, combined to pummel the opposition bowlers in the last five overs, which produced 78 runs.
In reply, Hyderabad were in trouble at 9-3 and then 44-4 after seam bowler Arora struck two early blows including Australia’s Travis Head out on the second ball for four.
Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma fell to Harshit Rana and Arora made it three down after he dismissed another left-hander Ishant Kishan for two.
Sri Lanka’s IPL debutant Kamindu Mendis hit 27 before he became Sunil Narine’s wicket and the rest of the batting crumbled.
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen made 33 in a disappointing show by Hyderabad.
Friday’s Match
Ariana Television will broadcast today’s match live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 6:15pm to watch Match 16, between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
Sport
2nd ODI: India crush Afghanistan by 170 runs to seal series lead
The Indian national cricket team registered a dominant 170-run victory over Afghanistan in the second One Day International, delivering a commanding all-round performance.
Batting first, India piled up 402 all out in 49.5 overs, setting a daunting 403-run target for Afghanistan.
In reply, Afghanistan were never able to settle into the chase and were eventually bowled out for 232 in 44.3 overs, falling well short of the required total.
India’s innings was powered by a sensational top-order display. Shubman Gill led the charge with a brilliant 154 off 110 balls, striking 22 fours and 2 sixes, while Ishan Kishan lit up the innings with a rapid 125 off 79 deliveries, smashing 14 fours and 7 sixes. The duo laid the foundation for a massive total.
Afghanistan’s bowling effort saw some resistance from Rashid Khan, who picked up 3 wickets, but lacked support from the other end.
Set under pressure from the outset, Afghanistan’s batting lineup failed to build partnerships and was unable to sustain the required run rate against disciplined Indian bowling.
The match was played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where India’s dominant performance secured a comfortable win and momentum in the series.
Afghanistan had also lost the opening ODI by 7 wickets, giving India a strong 2–0 position in the series.
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