Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Abdul Kabir sent a message of congratulations to the Afghanistan A cricket team on Monday after Afghan Abdalyan lifted the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 trophy in Oman on Sunday night.

In his congratulatory message, Kabir called the final a “thrilling” match and said it was a “triumph”.

“Congratulations to all citizens and cricket players on this remarkable achievement.

“Afghan youth and athletes deserve great recognition for their dedication and for showcasing our nation's pride in every competition,” he said.

Messages of congratulations poured in overnight from fans around the world and from the cricketing fraternity.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) not only paid tribute to the players but also to the often-forgotten support staff who helped propel the team to victory.

In a post on X, the board said: “A huge shoutout to our team management and support staff for their unwavering support and dedication to Afghan Abdalyan's success in this event.”

Afghanistan star all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also posted a message of congratulations on X.

He said: “Zabardast! What an incredible achievement by our young lions, lifting the ACC Emerging Teams Asian Cup 2024! Proud of these talented boys for bringing glory to the nation. Congratulations to all Afghans! Inshallah, even greater heights await!”

Sunday’s win shows the progress Afghanistan has made as a cricketing nation and after beating Sri Lanka A in the final, the excitement in their camp was tangible.

Afghan Abdalyan won the game by seven wickets, chasing a modest target of 134.

As soon as the last ball crossed the ropes, Afghanistan players ran towards the ground in delight.

There were congratulatory hugs and handshakes all around and Afghanistan fans in the crowd were also overjoyed. It was indeed a moment of great pride for all Afghan people.

The Player of the Tournament award went to a deserving Sediqullah Atal, the man who put on an unmatched consistency in the entire competition and scored 368 runs throughout the tournament.

Afghanistan U17 national football team defeated Bangladesh 3-2 in their final match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Sunday to end their campaign undefeated.

Afghanistan’s goals were scored by Yasir Safi, Milad Noori and Arash Ahmadi.

It was the fourth and last game of Afghanistan in the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Afghanistan U17 had previously beaten the Philippines, Macau, and hosts Cambodia.

Afghanistan have qualified for the 2025 AFC U7 Asian Cup that will be held in Saudi Arabia in April next year.

Afghanistan A will face Sri Lanka A on Sunday evening, October 27, in the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 final at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

This comes after Afghanistan A defeated India A by 20 runs in the second semi-final of the championships on Friday.

On Sunday morning, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) wished the team well and said in a post on X: “#AfghanAbdalyan are set to play their first-ever ACC Men's Emerging Teams Asia Cup Grand Finale as they take on Sri Lanka A in an epic showdown tonight.

“Go well and bring it home, Abdalyano!,” the board said.

Friday’s thrilling victory over India A has set the stage for what will no doubt be an exciting showdown on Sunday.

Powered by an impressive 83 off 52 balls from Sediqullah Atal, Afghanistan A posted a formidable total of 206/4 against India A.

Zubaid Akbari (64 off 41) and Karim Janat (41 off 20) added further firepower, setting a challenging target for India A.

India A’s chase began with promise but stumbled as Afghanistan’s bowlers held their nerve.

Ramandeep Singh top-scored with a rapid 64 off 34 balls, keeping India in the hunt until the final overs.

Ayush Badoni (31 off 24) and Nishant Sindhu (23 off 13) provided valuable contributions, but Afghanistan A’s disciplined bowling, especially from AM Ghazanfar (2/14) and Abdul Rahman (2/32), restricted India A to 186/7 in 20 overs.

Afghanistan A has meanwhile had a number of standout players, including Sediqullah Atal who has posted a whopping 313 runs in this tournament.

Standing at number 1 for the most runs, fellow player Zubairullah Akbari is at number 3 with his total of 137 runs. Second on the board is Babar Hayat from Hong Kong with 162 runs.

Sunday’s match will get underway at 6pm local time.