Sport
Afghanistan fall short by 4 runs in World Cup thriller against Australia

Rashid Khan’s blistering 48 helped Afghanistan in getting close to the target in their final match of T20 World Cup against hosts Australia but they still fell short by four runs.
Sent to bat first by Afghans who won the toss, Australia didn’t get off to the kind of start they would have liked as they lost both of their openers Cameron Green and David Warner with just 48 runs on the board. Green opened the innings in absence of regular captain Aaron Finch, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Steve Smith, who replaced Tim David in this match, also departed soon, leaving Australia reeling at 52/3.
Mitchell Marsh took over the reigns after that with an excellent knock of 45 from 30 deliveries. Marcus Stoinis also added valuable 25 runs from 21 deliveries. But the real difference was made by Glenn Maxwell, who smashed an unbeaten 54 from 32 deliveries. Australia kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Maxwell stuck around and lifted them to a competitive total of 168/8.
Naveen-ul-Haq’s three wickets were pivotal in putting a lid on an Australian side needing as big a total as possible to help their troubled title ambitions. Fazalhaq Farooqi took two wickets, while Rashid Khan adnd Mujeeb-ur-Rahman each picked up one.
Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed his talent and potential once again as he took on the Australian pacers to play a breathtaking cameo of 30 from 17 deliveries at the top of the order. Gurbaz smashed two fours and as many sixes during his knock, and he was finally dismissed while attempting a big shot off Kane Richardson.
Gulbadin Naib shared a 59-run stand with Ibrahim Zadran for the third wicket but with a flurry of four wickets in nine balls – two to Adam in his last over – Australia wrested back control of the match
Rashid Khan also showed his batting talent once again as he smashed 48 from just 23 deliveries to take Afghanistan close to the target. His knock consisted of three fours and four huge sixes, and gave the Afghan fans something to cheer for.
Australia needed to win by a big margin in order to stay in a safe position in the semi-final race. This win has given them valuable two points but it hasn’t improved their NRR much.
If England win their next match against Sri Lanka, Australia will get eliminated from this World cup.
Sport
AFC Beach Soccer: UAE thrash Afghanistan 7-1 in opener

Afghanistan’s national beach soccer team lost 7-1 to the United Arab Emirates in Friday’s opening match at the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 in Thailand.
Afghanistan will face Iran in their second group-stage match next Sunday.
In this year’s tournament, the Afghan team is placed in Group C alongside Iran, UAE, and Indonesia.
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.
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