Sport
South Africa sink spirited US in WC Super 8
American opener Steven Taylor (24) underlined his intent when he smashed a boundary off the first ball, but after four fours and a six, he fell to Rabada when a mistimed shot was caught at mid-off.
South Africa beat the United States by 18 runs in the first T20 World Cup Super 8 game in Antigua on Wednesday as Kagiso Rabada’s experience came to the fore at the end of a tense game.
Having struggled on New York’s slow pitches in the group stage, South Africa scored freely at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, posting 194-4 on the back of Quinton de Kock’s fine knock of 74.
In response, U.S. opener Andries Gous (80 not out) provided the fireworks along with Harmeet Singh (38) down the order but fast bowler Rabada picked up crucial wickets in his spell of 3-18 and restricted the run rate as the U.S. fell short.
“We’ve had some tricky wickets coming up to this game and I think it’s just nice to spend some time out in the middle,” player of the match De Kock said.
The U.S. had won the toss and opted to field first, picking up the wicket of Reeza Hendricks early but De Kock cut loose as South Africa scored at over 10 runs per over during the powerplay.
De Kock reached his fifty in 26 balls and shared a 110-run partnership with skipper Aiden Markram off 60 deliveries.
Harmeet Singh dismissed De Kock when he mistimed a full toss and was caught near the boundary and the all-rounder was on a hat-trick when he had David Miller caught and bowled.
Markram fell four runs short of his fifty when he chased a wide loose ball and Ali Khan took a sharp diving catch to give Saurabh Netravalkar his second wicket.
SUPERB SPELL
Despite Netravalkar’s superb spell (2-21), the others failed to contain South Africa as Heinrich Klaasen dealt in sixes and scored a quick-fire 36 in an unbroken 53-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (20) to propel them to 194-4.
American opener Steven Taylor (24) underlined his intent when he smashed a boundary off the first ball, but after four fours and a six, he fell to Rabada when a mistimed shot was caught at mid-off.
The fast bowler also dismissed Nitish Kumar, who was caught at deep square leg, and U.S. captain Aaron Jones fell for a duck to spinner Keshav Maharaj.
Gous continued to resist, bringing up his fifty with back-to-back sixes, but the required run rate continued to climb.
There was hope when Shamsi went for 22 runs in an expensive 18th over but Rabada returned to dismiss Harmeet, conceding only two runs in the penultimate over.
“It’s hard to take the defeat after getting so close. We could have been a little more disciplined bowling-wise,” Jones said.
“It could have been a closer game and we could have got over the line.” – Reuters
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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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