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Pakistan cricketers warned not to ‘underestimate’ Afghan team

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(Last Updated On: October 29, 2021)

Pakistan’s cricket coach Saqlain Mushtaq has told his team they cannot afford to lower their guard against a “fearless” Afghanistan in Friday’s Super 12 match.

This comes after Pakistan got off to a good start in the T20 World Cup campaign by winning their first two “grudge” matches, against India and New Zealand.

Angered by New Zealand’s abrupt cancellation of a limited-overs tour of Pakistan last month over security concerns, Pakistan players were motivated to make a point in the contest.

After those high-profile matches, commentators have said stakes will be relatively lower when they meet Afghanistan but Saqlain said there was no room for complacency.

“The boys put their heart and soul in the first two matches,” Saqlain said on Thursday.

“The confidence and the self-belief we got from those two matches, we have to take it forward.

“Regardless of who we face, whether it’s Afghanistan or any other team, we need to play that brand of cricket and execute our plans with that mindset.

“If we can’t do that, it would come back to bite us.”

Afghanistan is meanwhile on form and thumped Scotland by 130 runs in their opener. They also boast their formidable three-pronged spin attack which will be used to try to pull off an upset against Pakistan.

“It’s a strong unit. We can’t really say ‘that’s very easy and you will roll over them’,” former test spinner Saqlain said.

“They have a wonderful bowling attack, especially the spinners, and they bat the way they feel like.

“They just play sort of a fearless cricket. I think that kind of team can be dangerous,” he said.

Afghanistan will play Pakistan in Dubai on Friday. The match starts at 6.30pm Kabul time and will be broadcast live on Ariana Television.

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Ghazanfar replaces injured Mujeeb in IPL’s KKR squad

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed young Afghanistan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar as a replacement for the injured Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Mujeeb has been recovering from a right phalanx sprain in his hand, which he sustained in February 2024 during Afghanistan’s ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, he was also ruled out of the three-match T20I series between the two sides. Since then, the Afghanistan spinner hasn’t played cricket at any level.

Mujeeb was roped in by KKR for INR 2 crores (approx. $240,000) during the 2024 mini-auction. He also missed the opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The 16-year-old Ghazanfar has featured for Afghanistan in two ODIs. The youngster has played three T20s and six List A games and has 5 and 4 wickets respectively against his name He joins KKR for his base price of INR 20 lakhs (approx. $24,000).

Two-time champions KKR will play their first away game in the 2024 edition against RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, March 29.

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FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Afghanistan beat India 2-1

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

In a thrilling match that doubled as a qualifier for both the FIFA World Cup and the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, Afghanistan’s national football team secured a 2-1 victory over India.

The contest saw India taking an early lead, ending the first half ahead 1-0.

However, Afghanistan’s resolve shone in the second half, with Rahmat Akbari leveling the score at 1-1 in the 69th minute.

The decisive moment came when Sharif Mohammad converted a penalty in the 88th minute, propelling Afghanistan to a late lead.

The two teams had previously ended the first leg of their matchup in a goalless draw.

Looking ahead, Afghanistan is scheduled to face Qatar and Kuwait in upcoming matches on June 6 and 11, respectively.

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IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77(49) helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru register their first win of the TATA IPL 2024 as they beat Punjab Kings by 4 wickets with four balls remaining at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.

Kohli made PBKS pay with some delightful strokeplay to set the platform.

Dinesh Karthik (28 off 10) and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror (17 off 8) then provided the final flourish, stitching an unbeaten 48-run stand off 18 balls, to help RCB chase down 177 in the final over.

Earlier, a disciplined bowling display had helped the home side restrict PBKS to 176/6.

Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field.

Tuesday, March 26, will see Chennai Super Kings take on Gujarat Titans.

In this highly anticipated rematch of last season’s final, defending champions Chennai lock horns with runners-up Gujarat in what promises to be a scintillating encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

IPL fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television at 6.30pm Tuesday, or stream live at www.arianatelevision.com, to watch this exciting match.

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