Afghanistan’s national cricket team has climbed to number seven in the latest ranking update of ODI teams.

Afghanistan secured the seventh position after gaining four points.

It is the best ever ranking for Afghanistan in ODIs.

They are now above teams including England, West Indies and Bangladesh.

IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said this week that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is actively considering expanding the Indian Premier League (IPL) season to a whopping 94-match format for the next media-rights cycle, which will start in 2028.

However, the board has no plans to introduce new franchises.

IPL expanded to its current 74-match format in 2022 following the sale of the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchises.

There had however been plans to grow the format to 84 matches for this year’s season but this did not materialize due to time constraints and broadcasters’ aversion to too many double-headers.

However, Dhumal told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview that an expansion from 2028 is possible.

“Definitely, that might be an opportunity,” Dhumal said. “We’ve been discussing in ICC, we’ve been discussing in-house in BCCI.

“Given how the interest of the fan is changing with regard to bilateral and ICC events, in regard to franchise cricket and T20 cricket, we’ll have to talk more seriously about it and see how we can create maximum value for the stakeholders of the game.

“Ideally, we’d want a larger window, or to maybe go on from 74 to 84 or 94 at some point… So that every team gets to play against every team home and away, for that, you need 94 games.

“Given the window and the kind of commitments that we have with regards to bilateral cricket and ICC events, that may not be possible in the short term. But given the landscape, how it is changing and evolving over the years, maybe at some point in time we would look and take that option,” he said.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the duration of the IPL’s window will form part of the discussions next year when boards thrash out the details of the next future tours programme (FTP).

Officials at multiple franchises have told ESPNcricinfo that they would prefer a 94-match season, but an increase would likely depend on broadcaster interest.

TV and streaming numbers typically drop midway through the IPL season, which broadcasters privately attribute to viewer fatigue. The 2025 edition will stretch to nine weeks, with 12 double-headers scheduled, and an increase to a full home-and-away season would likely require two more weeks in the international calendar.

Dhumal described the IPL 2025 season as a success, hailing the “competitive spirit” among teams and the emergence of several young Indian players. He also believes that it would be good for the IPL to have a first-time champion this season, with Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings(PBKS) and LSG all in the mix for the playoffs at this stage.

“Every year, it’s been growing,” Dhumal said. “We are very glad how the fans have loved this tournament, and the broadcast numbers and in-stadia numbers are all phenomenal. We are hoping to carry on with this being a special edition, the 18th edition. We are very sure that it’ll continue to grow in the way we’ve seen over the last 17 years.”

Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A will take on each other from Tuesday in an unofficial Test – which will make up part of the process to increase the importance of red-ball cricket in Afghanistan.

A number of players in the squad have however already played in the national side.

All Squads

Afghanistan A

Bahir Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ijaz Ahmad Mehri, Imran Mir, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Ismat Alam, Shams Ur Rahman, Zia-ur-Rehman, Afsar Zazai (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Arab Gul, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Khalil Gurbaz, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Saleem, Yama Arab, Ziaur Rahman.

Sri Lanka A

Kamil Mishara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Ravindu Rasantha, Sonal Dinusha, Wanuja Sahan, Lahiru Udara (WK), Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK), Asanka Manoj, Dilshan Madushanka, Dilum Sudeera, Isitha Wijesundara, Milan Rathnayake, Shiran Fernando, Tharindu Ratnayake.