Sport
Pathirana-inspired Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in Asia Cup
Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana returned impressive figures of 4-32 to help Sri Lanka to a comprehensive five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup match on Thursday.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana struck early before Pathirana joined forces to dismiss Bangladesh for 164 in the opener of the Sri Lanka leg of the 50-over tournament, a precursor to October’s ODI World Cup in India, AFP reported.
Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made 54, and Charith Asalanka, unbeaten on 62, guided the chase in their key stand of 78 after Sri Lanka lost their openers early and slipped to 43-3.
Samarawickrama registered his fourth ODI half-century to raise the noise of the sparse crowd at the scenic venue.
He finally fell stumped off spinner Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan soon sent back Dhananjaya de Silva, but the left-handed Asalanka pulled the team home in 39 overs with a winning boundary.
Asalanka reached his 50 in 85 balls to play a patient knock on a pitch where run-scoring did not seem easy. Skipper Dasun Shanaka stood unbeaten on 14.
The bowlers set up victory with Pathirana, whose yorkers have earned him comparisons to Lasith Malinga, picking up key wickets including skipper Shakib and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim.
Top-order batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto made 89 to play a lone hand in Bangladesh’s innings after they elected to bat first but lasted for only 42.4 overs.
Theekshana struck first when he trapped debutant Tanzid Hasan lbw for nought while De Silva soon sent back fellow opener Mohammad Naim for 16.
Shanto, who bats at number three, stood calm after Bangladesh lost their openers and put on key partnerships including a 59-run fourth-wicket stand with Towhid Hridoy, who was next best with 20.
He registered his fourth ODI half-century and hit seven boundaries but the rest of the batting fell flat.
Pathirana got skipper Shakib caught behind for five with wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis taking a diving catch to his left.
Later he returned to wipe off the tail after Theekshana bowled Shanto with his mystery spin to end the left-hander’s 122-ball knock.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s run-out only added to Bangladesh’s woes, after a mix-up with Shanto.
Sri Lanka, who won the T20 edition of the tournament in Dubai last year, are co-hosting with Pakistan and will next play Afghanistan in Lahore.
Pakistan, who won the tournament opener against Nepal, will clash with arch-rivals India in Pallekele on Saturday.
AFP
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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