Sport
Shankar, Miller power Gujarat to top of IPL table
A smashing partnership between Vijay Shankar and David Miller steered holders Gujarat Titans to the top of the IPL table with a seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.
Chasing 180 for victory, Gujarat were in trouble at 93-3 when Shankar (51) and the left-handed Miller (32) combined to achieve victory with 13 balls to spare at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Bowlers Mohammed Shami, Josh Little and Noor Ahmad set up victory after they kept down Kolkata to 179-7 despite a sparkling 81 by Rahmanullah Gurbaz in a match which started 45 minutes late due to rain and wet outfield.
In the chase, skipper Hardik Pandya fell for 26 and Shubman Gill departed on 49 when Miller, who survived a dropped catch on 26, took on the bowlers with a couple of sixes.
Shankar, an Indian all-rounder, soon took over from his South African partner in their unbeaten stand of 87 with a six-hitting blitz as he reached his fifty in 24 balls.
Gujarat, who had a fairytale debut season when they clinched the Indian Premier League title last year, moved top of the 10-team table with six wins in eight matches.
Two-time champions Kolkata, led by Nitish Rana, stay seventh with six losses in nine matches.
Regular wickets hurt Kolkata’s chances of getting to a bigger total as they fell to 88-4, but Gurbaz, who made the team in place of injured England batsman Jason Roy, held firm.
Afghanistan’s Gurbaz smashed seven sixes in his attacking knock and put on 47 for the fifth wicket with Rinku Singh before he fell to Ahmad’s wily left-arm wrist spin, AFP reported.
Kolkata slipped again after Gurbaz’s departure but Andre Russell took on the opposition attack in his 19-ball 34 despite disciplined bowling from Shami, Little and Ahmad in the final five overs.
Little, a left-arm quick from Ireland, was named man of the match for his figures of 2-25.
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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