Sport

Rashid to take ‘one game at a time’ ahead of T20 World Cup opening match against Uganda

Published

7 months ago

June 3, 2024

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan intends to take it one game at a time in the team’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, which will get underway on Tuesday in the West Indies.

Given their arsenal of high-class spin bowlers and the improvement in Afghanistan's batting in recent years, many have touted the Asian side as one of the teams capable of making it to the semi-finals of this year’s T20 World Cup.

While appreciative of these predictions, Rashid said he wants to focus on the cricketing action. Rashid said it was a big honor for the team to be seen as one of the favorites to make the semi-finals.

“They have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis,” Rashid said. “We take that as a very positive sign.”

He also said looking back at his team’s ICC Men's Cricket World Cup campaign in India last year, the players believe that nothing was impossible for them as a side.

In last year’s tournament, Afghanistan defeated the likes of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England, and ran eventual champions Australia close.

“But for us, we don't look to those things a lot. It's all about how we're going to be there in the ground, delivering. We were very near in the last World Cup as well to be in the semis.

“We were just one game away from being in the semis and that's where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible for us as a team. So yeah, looking forward we are really excited about this World Cup. We take one game at a time and then see how it goes.”

Rashid was confident of Afghanistan’s groundwork prior to the tournament.

“I think preparation has been great so far. The way the guys have been prepared, and they had that preparation back home in Afghanistan," he said.

“A couple of weeks back, we had a domestic T20 competition, which really helped them to get that kind of preparation they need as a player and as a team. And then we're here two weeks earlier as well. So, we got that full preparation, what we wanted as a team.

“We're just about focusing on one game at a time and making sure we do the right things and take the right decisions at the right time. That's something I think is going to help us.

“And don't think about the next round a lot. That's something which is an extra pressure I feel like to be as a player.”

Afghanistan begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Uganda in Guyana. Both sides are in Group C of the competition along with West Indies, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

WATCH LIVE!

Ariana Television Network recently secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the exciting T20 World Cup 2024 live in Afghanistan.

Fans around the country can tune in on Wednesday morning, June 4, at 4:30 am to watch the pre-match show followed by the match which starts at 5am Kabul time.

Related Topics:#Uganda Afghanistan Cricket featured ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Rashid Khan T20 World Cup West Indies

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Sport

Afghanistan clinches ODI series victory against Zimbabwe

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Ariana News

Afghanistan's national cricket team triumphed over Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to claim the series victory.

In a dominant bowling display, Afghanistan dismissed Zimbabwe for just 127 runs in 30.1 overs. The Afghan batsmen then chased down the target comfortably in 26.5 overs, losing only 2 wickets along the way.

The standout performer of the match was Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable 5 wickets, while Rashid Khan supported with 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad each claimed 1 wicket.

The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back strongly in the second match, securing a commanding 232-run victory.

This series win follows Afghanistan's earlier success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, further cementing their dominance in international cricket.

Sport

Bangla Tigers lift Lanka T10 Super League title

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ariana News

Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat favorites Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in Thursday’s Lanka T10 Super League final at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.

The Tigers produced a fine all-round performance to beat the Titans, who had won all their matches in the lead up to the final.

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Hambantota Bangla Tigers, put into bat first, posted 133 for seven from their allotted 10 overs through some useful contributions from their top order batsmen.

The openers Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera added 35 runs from 2.4 overs before they suffered a middle order collapse and reached 59 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, skipper Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel revived the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 44 runs in three overs.

Shanaka made 21 with two sixes and two boundaries while Daniel struck 26 with one six and three boundaries before Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan added the finishing touches.

Chasing 133 runs for victory, Jaffna Titans lost wickets at regular intervals and they eventually finished at 107 for six despite a fighting unbeaten half century from middle order batsman Tom Abell.
Richard Gleeson wrecked the Hambantota Bangla Tigers’ innings with excellent figures of three wickets for 21 while Shanaka captured two wickets for four runs.