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Dhoni mania as IPL heads into tense final week

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The Indian Premier League enters its playoff phase this week and Chennai Super Kings will host Gujarat Titans on Tuesday in front of a home crowd desperate to see MS Dhoni win another Indian Premier League.

A packed house is expected at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium and all eyes will be on the 41-year-old Dhoni, AFP reported.

Four-time champions Chennai host table-toppers Gujarat in the first playoff of this season's IPL, with the winner going into Sunday's final. The loser goes into another playoff match.

Fans have turned up in large numbers at every venue to watch Dhoni, the Chennai skipper and former India captain who is expected to retire from cricket at the end of this campaign.

He retired from national duty in 2020.

Dhoni has kept fans guessing and not explicitly said he expects to call it quits when the end of the season arrives at some point over the next week.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has reinvented himself this term as a lower-order batsman coming in at number eight.

"This is what my job is," he said after hitting a nine-ball 20 in a late cameo to help Chennai defeat Delhi earlier this month.

"I have told them (his team) this is what I am supposed to do, don't make me run a lot, and it has been working."

Dhoni's likely farewell is one of a number of subplots heading into the final week of the Twenty20 extravaganza.

Opponents Gujarat have extended their fairy tale journey from winning the crown in their debut season last year to making the play-offs once again.

"Last year we did well, everything went our way," said skipper Hardik Pandya, who then guided Gujarat to the top of the 10-team table in the regular season this year.

"This year was a different challenge for us. We were expecting people to challenge us. The boys showed tremendous character."

Opener Shubman Gill has led the way with his 680 runs, second only in this IPL to Faf du Plessis at Bangalore on 730, but with a chance now to grab the Orange Cap for top-scorer.

He struck his second straight ton on Sunday to play another match-winning role for a team which triumphed in 10 of their 14 group matches.

If Gujarat make the final they will again enjoy home advantage playing at the 132,000-capacity stadium in Ahmedabad.

Green justifies price tag

On Wednesday, five-time champions Mumbai Indians, led by India skipper Rohit Sharma, take on Lucknow Super Giants in another playoff.

The winner of that match will play the loser of Chennai-Gujarat on Friday for a spot in Sunday's final at the world's biggest cricket stadium.

Mumbai rode on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green's maiden T20 century in a crushing win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday to sneak into the playoffs.

Green's 47-ball 100 not out and a 56 by Rohit in Mumbai's successful chase of 201 has suddenly made the IPL heavyweights, who last won the IPL in 2020, favorites in the knockout clash against Lucknow.

The 23-year-old Green was the second-most expensive player in IPL history when Mumbai bought him for $2.11 million in this season's auction.

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Ariana News to broadcast IPL auction live and exclusively in Afghanistan

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The highly anticipated TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25 - an event that will be broadcast to Afghanistan’s cricket fans live and exclusively by Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN).

The two-day event will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana News.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this year. It will be the second time that the IPL mega auction is held outside India after last year's event in Dubai.

This year's mega auction will have 1,574 players registered, of which 574 names will go under the hammer.

Of those 574, a total of 366 players will be Indian and 208 will be foreign cricketers.

A number of big names will be in fray, with as many as 81 players choosing to register themselves under the highest base price bracket of Rs 2 crore ($237,000).

Afghan players

Eighteen Afghan players have been shortlisted for the IPL mega auction.

Two hundred and four (204) slots will be up for grabs with 70 available slots for overseas players.

Full list of Afghan players shortlisted for the auction:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Noor Ahmad
Waqar Salamkheil
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
Azmatullah Omarzai
Naveen-ul-haq
Zahir Khan Pakten
Sediqullah Atal
Mohammad Nabi
Gulbadin Naib
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Najibullah Zadran
Ibrahim Zadran
Qais Ahmad
Karim Janat
Faridoon Dawoodzai
Nangyal Kharote

For cricket fans across the country, the IPL mega auction broadcast will be on Sunday and Monday from 1.30pm Kabul time on Ariana News. For more information and updated stories be sure to watch this space and follow us on social media.

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Pakistan trumps Afghanistan by only 13 runs in U19 Tri-Series One Day match 

Chasing 245 to win, Afghanistan lost their opening batter Mahboob Khan in the first over but recovered as Uzairullah Niazai and Faisal Shinozada secured a 104-run partnership for the second wicket

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Afghanistan’s U-19 cricket team went down to Pakistan by only 13 runs on Wednesday in their third tri-nation series One Day match at the ICC Academy in Dubai. 

This was Pakistan’s first win over Afghanistan in the ongoing tournament after the Afghans defeated their opponents by 100 runs at the same venue on Friday.

Chasing 245 to win, Afghanistan lost their opening batter Mahboob Khan in the first over but recovered as Uzairullah Niazai and Faisal Shinozada secured a 104-run partnership for the second wicket. 

After Faisal’s departure, Uzairullah soon followed with Afghanistan at 142 for three in 26.5 overs. 

Afghanistan were bundled out for 231 in 46.4 overs. 

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan’s opening pair Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan provided a solid 129-run stand to Pakistan.

Left-handed Usman, who scored a century against Afghanistan in the previous match, scored an 88-ball 77, which included eight fours. 

Shahzaib meanwhile top-scored for the side with 78 off 101 balls, hitting seven boundaries.

For Afghanistan, Abdul Aziz Khan and Khatir Khan Stanikzai bagged three wickets apiece, while Naseer Khan Maroofkhil snapped two wickets.

Pakistan will take on the hosts UAE U19 in their last group match on Friday, 22 November.

In a post on X, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said late Wednesday: “Not the result we would have wanted but Afghanistan Future Stars will look to bounce back in the next match.”

Afghanistan will take on UAE U19 on Sunday, November 24.

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Afghanistan beat UAE by 169 runs in U19 tri-series

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Afghanistan under-19 cricket team defeated the United Arab Emirates under-19 team by 169 runs in their second match of the tri-nation series in Dubai on Monday.

Batting first after winning the toss, Afghans posted 359-5 as they played all the mandated 50 overs in the ICC Academy in Dubai.

Faisal Khan scored 156 runs while captain Mehboob Khan made 141.

In reply, UAE made 190 before they were all out in the 45.4 overs.

It is Afghanistan U19's second consecutive win in the two matches they have played so far in the tri-series.

Afghanistan U19 defeated Pakistan by 100 runs in their first match.

Afghanistan U19 will meet Pakistan U19 again on Wednesday.

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