Australian left-arm quick Starc returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163, a target they overhauled with four overs and seven wickets to spare for their second straight win in this edition of the T20 tournament.

In the second match of the day in Guwahati, Rana’s batting blitz helped Rajasthan to 182-9 and then kept down Chennai Super Kings to 176-6 for a six-run win – the team’s first after two losses.

“Feels good,” said stand-in Rajasthan skipper Riyan Parag.

“Took some time, it was two games but felt long. Felt we were 20 short but the bowlers stepped up and executed our collective plans.”

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga returned figures of 4-35, delivering key blows against the Chennai batting order.

The left-handed Rana put on 82 for the second wicket with Sanju Samson to lay the foundations of Rajasthan’s total.

Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad broke the stand with the wicket of Samson, who is Rajasthan’s regular captain but playing only as a batsman due to an injury.

Rana reached his fifty in 21 balls and bludgeoned the bowlers with 10 fours and five sixes in his stay at the crease. He was named player of the match.

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cut short Rana’s knock when he had the batsman stumped.

Parag hit 37 off 28 balls before being bowled by Sri Lankan pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana.

In Chennai’s reply, England pace bowler Jofra Archer struck in the first over to have Rachin Ravindra caught behind for a duck as he celebrated his first wicket this IPL season.
Hasaranga then took control and got a wicket in each of his four overs and his final strike of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for 63 derailed the Chennai chase.

Earlier in Delhi’s second home of Visakhapatnam, Starc struck early and twice in one over to send back Ishan Kishan and Nitish Reddy.

He then got fellow Australian Travis Head caught behind for 22 as Hyderabad slipped to 37-4 in 4.1 overs.

Indian batsman Aniket Verma, who top-scored with 74, and South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen then put on an attacking stand of 77 in an attempt to hit back.

Kuldeep Yadav, a left-arm wrist spinner, claimed figures of 3-22 before Starc completed his five to wrap up the Hyderabad innings.

“There’s no ego in bowlers these days,” said player of the match Starc.

“As a bowler you’ve got to think out of the box. You need to do things you wouldn’t normally do. It was nice to contribute in the win today, we move forward from here.”

In reply, South African veteran Faf Du Plessis came out firing in his 27-ball 50 as he smashed India fast bowler Mohammed Shami for a six and three fours in a 15-run third over to set up the chase.

Delhi, under new skipper Axar Patel, have rebuilt the team in their hunt for a first IPL title and brought in England great Kevin Pietersen as mentor.

Ariana Television will broadcast today’s match live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 6:15 pm to watch Match 12th, between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.

(AFP)

South Korea, China and Japan held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the three Asian export powers brace from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The countries’ three trade ministers agreed to “closely cooperate for a comprehensive and high-level” talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote “regional and global trade”, according to a statement released after the meeting.

“It is necessary to strengthen the implementation of RCEP, in which all three countries have participated, and to create a framework for expanding trade cooperation among the three countries through Korea-China-Japan FTA negotiations,” said South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

The ministers met ahead of Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of more tariffs in what he calls “liberation day”, as he upends Washington’s trading partnerships.

Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo are major U.S. major trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads among themselves over issues including territorial disputes and Japan’s release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.

They have not made substantial progress on a trilateral free-trade deal since starting talks in 2012.

RCEP, which went into force in 2022, is a trade framework among 15 Asia-Pacific countries aimed at lowering trade barriers.

Trump announced 25% import tariffs on cars and auto parts last week, a move that may hurt companies, especially Asian automakers, which are among the largest vehicle exporters to the U.S.

After Mexico, South Korea is the world’s largest exporter of vehicles to the United States, followed by Japan, according to data from S&P.
The ministers agreed to hold their next ministerial meeting in Japan.

(Reuters) 

Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), led Eid-ul-Fitr prayer in Kandahar province on Sunday, attended by thousands of people.

In his speech, Akhundzada emphasized on avoiding division and disunity, stating that the survival of the system lies in unity and solidarity.

He added that the Islamic Emirate is facing a wave of negative propaganda, and its enemies are using these tactics to incite war and conflict in the country once again.

He warned that division would lead to the failure of Muslims and the collapse of systems.

The leader of the Islamic Emirate further mentioned that they sacrificed their lives for 20 years to achieve victory in jihad, and protecting this system requires even more sacrifices.

He called on the people, the forces of the Islamic Emirate, and officials to obey the leadership’s orders, emphasizing that the absence of leadership in the past led to civil wars, which must not be repeated.