Sport
ACB name squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs

Afghanistan Cricket Board’s National Selection Committee on Sunday announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played from February 9 to 14 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
The ODI series follows once the Test, between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, is over.
Excluded from the squad is Rashid Khan who continues to recover from back surgery. Qais Ahmad has however been added to the lineup in Rashid’s absence.
Meanwhile, Naveed Zadran who recently made his Test debut against Sri Lanka, has been included in the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka.
Fast Bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi, who recently featured in an away tour to India made his Test debut against Sri Lanka, has been ruled out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury.
ACB CEO Naseeb meanwhile welcomed the full cricket schedule for the team and said the board is looking forward to arranging more games in the future.
“We have consistently striven to secure more bilateral cricket matches and create a busy schedule for our national teams. This marks our third visit to Sri Lanka in the past 16 months, which is a promising sign moving forward.
“The selectors have selected a strong lineup and we eagerly anticipate an exciting series ahead,” he said.
Afghanistan Squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
In addition to the 15-member lineup, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman Rahmani and Bilal Sami are included in the list as reserves.
Series schedule:
1st ODI will be on February 9 in Kandy
2nd ODI will be on February 11 in Kandy
3rd ODI will be on February 14 in Kandy
Where to watch
Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television for live broadcasts of exhilarating cricket. For more details be sure to follow us on social media.
Sport
IPL 2025 celebrates 18 years of immense success

With just four days to go until the opening match of this year’s IPL, cricket fever is already taking hold and for fans across Afghanistan, Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will once again bring this thrilling event into the homes of Afghans in the country.
This year’s IPL is in fact the 18th season and has undoubtedly become a firm favorite on the world’s annual cricket schedule.
The popularity of the IPL is so immense that the cumulative brand value was estimated at $12 billion in 2024, a 13% increase from $10.7 billion in 2023, according to the 17th Brand Finance IPL 2024 valuation report.
According to Brand Finance, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) leads as the most valuable IPL franchise in 2024, with a brand valuation of $122 million.
This 52% growth is attributed largely to the enduring legacy of their former captain MS Dhoni.
CSK is followed by Mumbai Indians, which is valued at $119 million and
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is worth $117 million.
Defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders is at $109 million; Sunrisers Hyderabad is $85 million; Rajasthan Royals is $81 million and Delhi Capitals is $80 million.
Saturday’s opener will see KKR take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
IPL 2025 gets underway on Saturday, March 22, and runs for two months, ending on May 25.
IPL fans can tune in to Ariana Television from 6:15pm for a pre-match show on Saturday. The KKRvsRCB match will start at 6:30pm
For more news and updates follow us on social media and watch this space.
Sport
Cricket Ireland cancels Afghanistan series for ‘financial reasons’
However, in the same statement Cricket Ireland confirmed a line up of action-packed cricket this summer.

Ireland’s cricket board announced this week they have cancelled a multi-format series against Afghanistan scheduled for later this year.
Cricket Ireland said in a statement issued on Tuesday that they were cancelling the series due to “financial reasons”.
“One planned series that won’t go ahead for financial reasons is against Afghanistan.
“This decision is part of our management of short-term budgetary constraints, as well as our requirement to comply with the Board’s mandate to deliver balanced investment across the organisation’s strategic objectives,” said Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland.
However, in the same statement Cricket Ireland confirmed a line up of action-packed cricket this summer.
West Indies will play six limited-overs matches in Ireland in May and June before England arrive in September for a three-match Twenty20 series.
In addition, Zimbabwe Women and Pakistan Women will tour Ireland in July and August respectively; and Ireland Women will compete in two ICC World Cup qualifier tournaments.
In addition to this, Ireland Wolves will head to the UAE to play Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A as part of a multi-format tour.
Cricket Ireland added that “further fixtures and tours in 2025 will be announced in due course”.
Deutrom meanwhile said Cricket Ireland will also invest to upgrade infrastructure and facilities across the country.
The Irish government announced last August it would build a stadium at the national sports campus in Blanchardstown, which will also stage matches of the T20 World Cup in 2030, which Ireland will co-host with England and Scotland.
“All in all, on and off the pitch, in time this will be recognised as one of the more consequential years in Irish cricket history,” Deutrom added.
In response to this news, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has clarified that the matches have not been canceled and that efforts are underway to reschedule them at a more suitable time.
Sport
Asian Cup: Afghanistan’s beach soccer team arrives in Thailand

Afghanistan’s national beach soccer team arrived in Thailand on Tuesday to participate in a training camp ahead of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025.
Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) said in a post on Facebook that a 10-day training camp has been organized for the national beach soccer team in order for the players to enhance their skills ahead of the tournament.
The Afghan national beach soccer team is placed in Group C of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 alongside the beach soccer teams of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025 will kick off on March 20 and run through to March 30. Thailand is the official host.
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