Sport
Rashid Khan’s ‘high point’; helping Gujarat Titans secure maiden IPL title
Thrilled with his team’s win on Sunday, Gujarat Titans’ star leg-spinner, Rashid Khan, posted pictures of himself with the IPL 2022 trophy on social media and thanked his fans for their good wishes and support.
Not wasting anytime, Rashid said on Facebook “we will see you in the [upcoming] match against Zimbabwe. Remember us in your prayers.”
Rashid, who could not hide his emotions after his team’s resounding win against Rajasthan Royals, with 7 wickets to spare, gave one of his best performances in an IPL season.
“Biggest achievement of your career is to be part of a winning IPL team. You always want to do well in big competitions like this.
“Winning tournaments like this, you’ll need to put in a lot of hard work and this is certainly a high point of my career,” Rashid told host broadcaster Star Sports.
Messages of congratulations also poured in from fans for the team.
Afghan cricket fans were meanwhile treated to an enthralling closing ceremony that was broadcast live on Ariana Television on Sunday evening ahead of the exciting final.
There was action, music, and fireworks at the packed Narendra Modi Stadium as the crowd was enthralled by the popular numbers of Rahman, which included the Oscar-winning ‘Jai Ho’.
The foot stomping music was followed by performances from Ranveer Singh and a special film chronicling the journey of Indian cricket over the last 75 years was screened.
The event was also attended by Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar and several former Indian national cricket players along with members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other member nations.
After two years of holding the tournament in the United Arab Emirates due to the COVID pandemic, the BCCI managed to successfully hold the IPL back on home turf this year.
The electrifying atmosphere generated during the closing ceremony was then carried through to the final match, which saw Gujarat Titans turning up the heat from the outset by setting an achievable target of 131 runs.
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bat first, ending with 130 runs in 20 overs. Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, chased the target in only 19 overs and lost just three wickets to secure the trophy.
Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya led from the front with an all-round performance which powered his team to their maiden IPL title after a clinical 7-wicket victory.
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.
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.
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