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Sluggish Warner under fire in IPL after Delhi lose again

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(Last Updated On: April 12, 2023)

David Warner is under fire in the Indian Premier League after the Australian’s Delhi Capitals lost for a fourth time in as many matches and sit at the bottom of the points table.

Warner, who is opening batsman and skipper, has hit three half-centuries in this year’s edition of the IPL but his runs have come at a sluggish strike rate of 114.83.

At his explosive best, the 36-year-old left-hander is a match-winner, AFP reported. He boasts a strike rate of 141.30 in his 99 T20 innings for Australia.

But he cannot get going in this year’s IPL and his snail-paced 51 runs off 47 deliveries in Tuesday’s last-ball loss to the Mumbai Indians did little to quell concerns about his decline.

The once-destructive Australian appears labored, even nervous.

“Even in the last couple of games, when he has been trying to hit, it’s not been coming off,” deputy skipper Axar Patel told reporters after the agonizing defeat to five-time champions Mumbai.

“As a batsman, I don’t know what he is thinking at that moment.”

Warner’s innings got a boost in a 67-run sixth-wicket stand with Axar, who smashed a 25-ball 54, but Delhi were all out for 172 and their opponents went on to win by six wickets.

Delhi are bottom of the 10 teams in the IPL and the only side yet to win a match.

Axar said that Warner has spoken to Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson, two Australian greats on Delhi’s coaching staff, as he tries to get firing again.

He has also been counseled by former Indian Test captain Sourav Ganguly, Delhi’s director of cricket.

“The conversation about his strike rate also came up. They looked at his videos and he’s working on it,” said Axar.

Pundits have been scathing in their assessment of Warner’s struggles.

“I feel it is time that we tell him in English now so that Warner listens to it and feels hurt,” former India opener Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz after the weekend’s 57-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.

Warner made 65 in 55 balls before Delhi went down tamely in their chase of 200 in Guwahati.

“David, if you are listening, please play well… If you cannot do that, do not come and play in the IPL,” said Sehwag.

Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle responded to Tuesday’s knock from the veteran opener by lamenting how difficult it was to watch “the great David Warner struggle”.

The Australian had been a drag on the team, Bhogle said.

“He has been very honest about it, but at the moment, it isn’t helping DC get the momentum they need,” he wrote on Twitter.

Delhi, who have never won the IPL, are now in danger of an early exit from the play-off race.

The franchise suffered an early blow when skipper Rishabh Pant was involved in a car crash in December and was ruled out of the season, propelling Warner into the captaincy.

This year’s IPL has meanwhile provided some exhilarating moments as teams battle it out for the champions titles.

For fans in Afghanistan, there is no need to miss out on all the action as matches can be streamed live daily on Ariana News website.

To stay up-to-date on all the latest matches, visit https://www.ariananews.af/live/

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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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Chennai to host IPL 2024 final scheduled for May 26

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(Last Updated On: March 25, 2024)

The BCCI on Monday released the full schedule of the IPL 2024, after only having released details on the first phase (two weeks) before the start of the tournament.

The second part of the IPL schedule, comprising 52 matches including the playoffs, will begin on April 8, with CSK hosting Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.

All playoff matches will be evening games.

Like the season opener, the final will take place in Chennai, home ground for reigning champions Chennai Super Kings.

The Qualifier 2 will also take place in Chennai. This will be played between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator, on Friday, May 24.

The final will be on Sunday, May 26th.

The MA Chidambaram Stadium, or the Chepauk, the home venue of Chennai Super Kings, has hosted two previous IPL finals, in 2011 and 2012.

Once the teams have moved into the second phase, Delhi Capitals will play all their remaining five home matches in front of their enthusiastic home crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi after opting to play their first two home matches in Visakhapatnam.

Punjab Kings, who started their season at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, will culminate their home campaign in Dharamsala.

PBKS will host two matches on May 5 and 9 against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively.

Rajasthan Royals have opted for a second venue in Guwahati and will play their final two home matches in Assam.

They will first host Punjab Kings on May 15 and later play Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19. This match will mark the conclusion of the league stage of the IPL.

From here, the spotlight will shift to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium which will host the Qualifier 1 clash featuring the two top-ranked sides on Tuesday, May 21, followed by the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 22.

On February 22, the IPL released a partial schedule of an initial set of 21 matches from March 22 to April 7.

A complete schedule could not be put out since, at the time, the IPL was waiting for the Election Commission of India to announce the dates for the country’s general elections, which have since been made public.

They will take place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.

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