Abu Dhabi Knight Riders all-rounders Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford have been fined for separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct following their DP World ILT20 Season 4 match against Sharjah Warriorz in Abu Dhabi on Monday night.

The sanctions were imposed by match referee Simon Taufel.

Rutherford was fined 50 percent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching Article 2.2 for a second time this season. As a repeat offence, the incident was classified as a Level 2 breach.

Russell received a fine of 10 percent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2, which relates to the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, or ground fixtures during a match.

Sharjah Warriorz meanwhile held their nerve to secure a dramatic four-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on the final ball at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Chasing 135, the Warriorz were guided by an unbeaten 42 off 29 balls from James Rew, while Sikandar Raza added 28 as the pair stitched together a crucial partnership to take the team home. The win lifted Sharjah to six points with two matches remaining, tightening the race for the final playoff spots.

Earlier, Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram ripped through the Knight Riders’ top order, reducing them to 10/4 inside four overs. Sherfane Rutherford top-scored with 44 off 36, while late hitting from Andre Russell and Jason Holder pushed the total to 134/9. Adil Rashid starred with the ball for Sharjah, claiming three wickets.

Despite a tense finish that left 12 runs required from the final over, Rew and Rashid calmly saw the chase through to seal a vital victory for the Warriorz.

ILT20 is being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 2pm today, Tuesday December 24, to watch MI Emirates take on Dubai Capitals.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has described his recent visit to India as an important new chapter in strengthening health cooperation between Kabul and New Delhi.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Jalali said the trip focused on expanding bilateral health collaboration and addressing key challenges facing Afghanistan’s healthcare system. He outlined the main objectives of the visit as preventing potential medicine shortages, standardizing traditional medicine, importing high-quality and affordable medicines, building the capacity of health workers through training programs, facilitating medical treatment for Afghan patients in India, and developing professional expertise in traditional medicine.

Jalali said India and relevant institutions made several concrete commitments during the visit. These include the provision of vaccines worth $5 million, a radiotherapy machine for cancer treatment valued at $3 million, five tons of cancer medicines worth $1 million, a CT scan machine valued at $300,000, and support for the construction of a hospital and a specialized thalassemia treatment center valued at $500,000.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Health, the visit also resulted in agreements on capacity-building programs for specialists and healthcare workers, the donation of 70,000 medical ampoules by an Afghan investor, plans to establish a research center and an institute of traditional medicine in Kabul, the transfer of high-quality medicines to Afghanistan, meeting market needs, and increased investment in the health sector.

The ministry said these outcomes represent significant progress in enhancing healthcare services and long-term cooperation between Afghanistan and India.

The Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) on Tuesday signed a major power supply project worth over 1.8 billion afghanis with domestic firm State Corps to provide electricity to Qush Tepa and Darzab districts in northern Jawzjan province.

 The contract signing ceremony, held at the Government Information and Media Centre, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and senior government officials.

Mawlawi Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Director General of Renewable Energy at MoEW, said the $28.4 million project (equivalent to 1.886 billion afghanis) aims to ensure nearly all households in Qush Tepa and Darzab have access to electricity.

He explained that the project involves constructing an 85.4-kilometre transmission line from Shiberghan, the provincial capital, building substations, and establishing electricity distribution networks in both districts.

Alauddin Salim, representing State Corps, described the initiative as “crucial” and said it is expected to be completed within three years. He highlighted that domestic firms, like State Corps, are more committed than foreign companies to project delivery.

According to MoEW, the project will be funded through revenues from Afghanistan’s mines and will provide electricity to around 47,000 families. The ministry urged the company to ensure timely completion with high quality standards.