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Neymar set for Saudi’s Al Hilal after PSG agree deal

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Brazil forward Neymar is headed for Saudi Arabia after Pro League side Al Hilal agreed a two-year deal with Paris St Germain, Saudi state media reported on Monday.

There was no immediate comment from the Ligue 1 champions, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, but French newspaper L'Equipe said the deal could net 31-year-old Neymar 160 million euros ($175 million).

The transfer fee was reported to be about 90 million euros plus add-ons and subject to completing a medical.

Sources close to the operation told Reuters that Neymar was having a medical in Paris on Monday and was expected to arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday to be presented to fans at King Fahd Stadium.

Al Hilal, managed by Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, play Al Fayha on Saturday with Neymar expected to wear the number 10 shirt.

Neymar, who joined PSG in 2017 from Spanish club Barcelona for a world record transfer fee of 222 million euros ($243 million), missed PSG's league opener against Lorient on Saturday due to a viral infection.

The Brazilian was contracted to stay in the French capital until 2025 and has 118 goals in 173 appearances, capturing numerous trophies including five Ligue 1 titles, but is no longer considered a key player in coach Luis Enrique's squad.

Multiple sources said he had hoped to return to Barcelona on a loan agreement but the Spanish side's financial issues had made that unaffordable.

Al Hilal had tried to sign PSG's France international Kylian Mbappe, who was reinstated into the Paris club's first team on Sunday.

The Saudi side were also reportedly interested in Argentinian Lionel Messi who opted to join Major League Soccer's Inter Miami.

The most successful club in Saudi Arabia and Asia, Al Hilal have won 66 trophies and hold the record for league and Asian Champions League titles, with 18 and four of them respectively.

Strengthening the squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club, as the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced in June an investment and privatisation project for sports clubs involving league champions Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Hilal.

The Saudi Pro League season kicked off on Friday after spending close to half a billion dollars luring a host of top players and coaches from European powerhouses.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr last season soon after the World Cup in a deal which made him the highest-paid athlete on the planet, while Al Ittihad signed Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.

Champions League winners Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy and Roberto Firmino have all signed for Al Ahli.

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Afghanistan beat UAE by 8 wickets in U19 tri-nation series

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Afghanistan Under-19 cricket team defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) U19 by eight wickets in the sixth match of the tri-nation series in Dubai on Sunday.

Asked to field first by UAE U19 who won the toss, Afghans bowled out the hosts for 88 runs in the 36.3 overs.

Afghanistan U19 chased down the target in the 21.2 overs.

Naseer Khan Maroofkhil claimed three wickets. Abdul Aziz Khatir Stanikzai and Rohaullah Arab picked up three wickets each.

Afghanistan U19 will play final against Pakistan U19 on Tuesday.

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Faf du Plessis smashes 75 off 32 balls in Abu Dhabi T10 League

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South African player Faf du Plessis showcased his batting brilliance by blasting a blistering 75 for Morrisville Samp Army against New York Strikers in the fifth game of the 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 League on Friday.

The 40-year-old reached his fifty in just 22 balls. He remained unbeaten on 75 off 32 balls, hitting five boundaries and six sixes.

Samp Army posted 135-1 in 10 overs, 41 of it coming from Adndries Gous’s bat, and they won the match by 36 runs.

It was one of the four matches played on Friday.

In the other matches, Northern Warriors defeated Delhi Bulls by 7 wickets, with Jonson Charles hitting a fifty.

Team Abu Dhabi thrashed UP Nawabs by 8 wickets after bowling them out for just 51. Mark Adair claimed four wickets. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Zeeshan Naseer picked up two wickets each.

In the last match of the day, Deccan Gladiators beat Ajman Bolts by 20 runs. Gladiators set a target of 138 runs, with Jos Buttler making 60 runs off 22 balls.

In reply, Ajman Bolts fell short on 117 despite captain Mohammad Nabi blasting 43 off 13 balls.

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Ariana News to broadcast IPL auction live and exclusively in Afghanistan

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The highly anticipated TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25 - an event that will be broadcast to Afghanistan’s cricket fans live and exclusively by Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN).

The two-day event will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana News.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this year. It will be the second time that the IPL mega auction is held outside India after last year's event in Dubai.

This year's mega auction will have 1,574 players registered, of which 574 names will go under the hammer.

Of those 574, a total of 366 players will be Indian and 208 will be foreign cricketers.

A number of big names will be in fray, with as many as 81 players choosing to register themselves under the highest base price bracket of Rs 2 crore ($237,000).

Afghan players

Eighteen Afghan players have been shortlisted for the IPL mega auction.

Two hundred and four (204) slots will be up for grabs with 70 available slots for overseas players.

Full list of Afghan players shortlisted for the auction:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Noor Ahmad
Waqar Salamkheil
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
Azmatullah Omarzai
Naveen-ul-haq
Zahir Khan Pakten
Sediqullah Atal
Mohammad Nabi
Gulbadin Naib
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Najibullah Zadran
Ibrahim Zadran
Qais Ahmad
Karim Janat
Faridoon Dawoodzai
Nangyal Kharote

For cricket fans across the country, the IPL mega auction broadcast will be on Sunday and Monday from 1.30pm Kabul time on Ariana News. For more information and updated stories be sure to watch this space and follow us on social media.

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