Sport
Rajasthan Royals clinch last playoff spot as Archer downs Mumbai Indians
The victory sent Rajasthan into the playoffs, where they will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. Archer was named Player of the Match for his decisive all-round display.
Rajasthan Royals secured the final playoff place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a convincing 30-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Needing a win to stay alive, Rajasthan recovered from an early wobble to post 205, thanks largely to a brilliant late assault from Jofra Archer. RR lost three wickets in the powerplay, but Dhruv Jurel’s 38 kept the innings together before Archer smashed 32 off 15 balls, including three sixes, as Rajasthan hammered 73 runs in the final five overs.
Archer then struck twice with the new ball to remove Rohit Sharma and Naman Dhir, while Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma reduced Mumbai to 49/4 inside the powerplay.
Suryakumar Yadav fought back with 60 off 42 balls and Will Jacks added a quick 33, but Archer returned to dismiss Hardik Pandya at a crucial stage and halt the chase. Burger later removed Suryakumar as Mumbai were restricted to 175.
The victory sent Rajasthan into the playoffs, where they will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. Archer was named Player of the Match for his decisive all-round display.
Delhi Capitals finish strongly as KKR collapse at Eden Gardens
In the second match of the day Sunday, Delhi Capitals ended their IPL campaign with a dramatic 40-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
A rapid 60 from KL Rahul helped Delhi post 203/5 after useful contributions from Axar Patel, David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma.
Kolkata looked in control of the chase at 126/3 after 13 overs, with Ajinkya Rahane leading the way. But Kuldeep Yadav sparked a stunning collapse with two wickets in successive balls against his former franchise.
Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi then ripped through the lower order as KKR crashed from 126/3 to 163 all out, losing eight wickets for just 38 runs. Ngidi finished with 3/27, while Kuldeep claimed 3/29 to earn Player of the Match honours.
Delhi closed their season with three straight wins but still missed out on the playoffs, while Kolkata’s disappointing campaign ended with another collapse under pressure.
The Afghanistan Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s under-15 national football team has qualified for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the country’s youth football development.
According to the federation, the qualification comes as a result of sustained efforts and strategic planning aimed at strengthening grassroots football across Afghanistan.
The federation said the successful organization of under-14 competitions in different zones of the country helped pave the way for the U-15 national team to secure a place in the global tournament.
In a statement, the federation said the achievement also follows efforts by its leadership, particularly Mohammad Yousuf Kargar, who held discussions with officials of FIFA while emphasizing the development of youth football in Afghanistan.
The tournament, part of FIFA’s global talent development program, aims to nurture young players, improve technical ability, provide international exposure, and prepare the next generation of footballers.
The competition will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, 2026, with under-15 teams from FIFA member nations set to participate.
Players born in 2011 and 2012 will be eligible for the tournament.
Matches will be played in an 8-versus-8 format designed to maximize ball involvement, develop individual skills, improve decision-making, and provide young players with valuable international competition experience.
Afghanistan’s participation is being seen as a major opportunity for the country’s emerging football talent to compete on the world stage and further elevate the profile of Afghan youth football.
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
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.
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