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Stokes the hero as England claim second T20 World Cup title in style

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An unbeaten half-century from Ben Stokes and brilliant performances with the ball from Sam Curran and Adil Rashid helped England to a second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with an impressive five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday.

Stokes used all his experience to score 52 from 49 balls just when his team needed it most as England chased down Pakistan’s meager total of 137/8 with six deliveries remaining at the MCG.

Unsung heroes shine with the ball for England

Seamer Sam Curran (3/12) and Adil Rashid (2/22) were near unplayable for much of Pakistan’s innings, with the duo picking up five valuable wickets between them and conceding just one boundary.

Rashid picked up the massive wicket of Babar Azam for 32 just as it looked like the skipper was about to accelerate and Pakistan’s batting innings never reached great heights from that point on.

Shan Masood (38) and Shadab Khan (20) contributed some handy late runs, but their total of 137/8 was never going to be enough with England’s strong batting line-up.

Afridi injury turns to match England’s way

While England were marginally ahead when requiring 41 from the final five overs, the game turned even more their way when Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi was forced to limp off after the first delivery of his third over.

Afridi had given Pakistan some life when he produced a superb yorker to send the dangerous Alex Hales packing for one and fellow quicks Haris Rauf (2/23) and Naseem Shah (0/30) were working off his energy and bowling with great pace.

Afridi was brought back for his second spell and it could have been pivotal with Stokes and Moeen Ali (19) needing to score at more than eight runs per over to clinch victory.

But Afridi was still feeling the effects of landing awkwardly following a catch earlier in England’s innings and limped from the field, leaving Iftikhar Ahmed to bowl the reminder of his over.

Stokes takes advantage of unfortunate situation

The experienced left-hander seized on Afridi’s injury quickly as he smashed a four and a six off Iftikhar’s final two deliveries to put England firmly in the driver’s seat.

It quickly turned from a tough situation to an easy one, with Moeen joining in on the act with consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Wasim to put the victory target within sight.

And while Moeen lost his wicket late, Stokes was there at the end with the match-winning half-century ensuring England claimed a thrilling five-wicket victory and a second T20 World Cup title.

Player of the Match: Sam Curran

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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.

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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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India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan

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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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2nd ODI: India crush Afghanistan by 170 runs to seal series lead

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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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