Sport
ILT20: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders secure 30-run victory over Sharjah Warriorz
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders secured their first victory at the DP World ILT20 on Wednesday, defeating Sharjah Warriorz by 30 runs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Jason Holder picked up four wickets for just 23 runs and David Willey returned figures of three wickets for 19 runs to defend their total of 159/5 with ease.
Batting first, an unbroken partnership of 50 runs in the death overs between Andre Russell and Laurie Evans enabled the Knight Riders to post 159/5 after Kyle Mayers set the tone early with a rapid 21 runs.
Evans remained unbeaten on 39 runs while Russell’s 12-ball knock of 24 provided the late innings fireworks.
In response, the Sharjah Warriorz innings was plagued by the lack of partnerships and an abundance of dot balls.
Providing insight on his approach to bowling, Player of the Match, David Willey said: “I always aim to take wickets and try to swing the new ball to achieve that. The scoreboard generally dictates what we need, and I focus on reading the game well to deliver accordingly.
“I've built my career around swinging the ball and always strive to stay one step ahead of the batter.”
Thursday’s match
Desert Vipers will take on MI Emirates on Thursday. The match will be broadcast live on Ariana Television from 7pm. The pre-match show will start at 6.30pm Kabul time.
The full broadcasting schedule is as below.
Sport
ILT20: Records shattered as MI Emirates humble Desert Vipers by 154 runs
The triumph also marked the second highest margin for a victory in the DP World ILT20
Tom Banton etched his name in DP World ILT20 history on Monday, becoming the first batter to score two centuries in the competition as MI Emirates cruised to a commanding 154-run victory over table-toppers Desert Vipers at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The triumph also marked the second highest margin for a victory in the DP World ILT20.
Banton combined with Andre Fletcher to construct the highest stand for any wicket in T20s on UAE soil at 198 runs.
Andre Fletcher remained unbeaten on 96 runs, while Banton scored 105 runs to steer the MI Emirates to 228/2 - the second highest total in the DP World ILT20 history.
In response, the Vipers only managed 74 runs matching the record for the lowest score across three seasons of the DP World ILT20.
With only two batters crossing double figures the Vipers were eventually bowled out for 74 runs in 12.3 overs.
Speaking after the game, Player of the match, Tom Banton said: "I didn't get off to a flier; I just knew the longer I stayed, the better chance I had. Sometimes you don't time it as well as you'd like, and sometimes you do.
“As a top-order batter, you come up against very good bowlers, so having a good technique is important. It's about looking at the match situation and scenario, not just teeing off.
“We came into this game on the back of two losses and were a bit under pressure. It's a special night for MI Emirates, but we don't want to take it for granted."
Captaining the Desert Vipers in place of Lockie Ferguson who was rested for the encounter, Sam Curran said: "We just get the game out of the way and move on. That can happen in cricket. We were a little off with our fielding and energy.
“It’s such a quick tournament, and we play again the day after tomorrow, so we’ll have another chance. We can bounce back, and there’s no need to panic. It’s about learning and reflecting.
Ariana Television is broadcasting the event live across Afghanistan. See full schedule below.
Sport
Afghanistan’s Omarzai named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year following a brilliant performance through 2024.
With his right-arm pace bowling and multifaceted batting game, the 24-year-old helped propel the Afghanistan team to a new level.
He also enjoyed a strong year in T20Is and franchise cricket, but it was in ODIs where he proved most influential.
He finished 2024 as his national team’s second-highest run scorer (behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz) and second-highest wicket taker (behind AM Ghazanfar), with Afghanistan winning four of their five ODI series last year.
Omarzai’s individual excellence wasn’t enough to earn Afghanistan a series win away in Sri Lanka at the start of the year, but he was central to four straight ODI series wins for Afghanistan, as his team won against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
The Afghanistan all-rounder was a standout performer with bat and ball throughout the year, scoring his runs at an average of 52.12 and bagging his wickets at 20.47.
But his brilliance lay not just in the overall numbers but in his individual performances, starting off in his very first ODI of the year, where he smashed an unbeaten 149 in a remarkable rearguard effort in defeat against Sri Lanka.
His destructive 86* from just 50 deliveries against South Africa was another memorable performance, with his rapid scoring helping set up a crushing win in the second ODI to win the series.
Omarzai repeatedly stood up when Afghanistan needed big contributions, but there are few better examples than with his series-defining performance in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Sharjah in November.
With the series on the line, Azmatullah bowled economically before delivering a death-overs masterclass to deny the Tigers the strong finish they were looking for, cleaning up set batter Mehidy Hasan Miraz among his three late wickets as he finished with figures of 4/37 from seven overs.
Faced with a target of 245 to win the match and series, Afghanistan limped through the first 20 overs, losing three of their top four cheaply, with the score at 84/3 when Azmatullah came to the crease.
But the right-hander won the game and series, building a century partnership with Rahmanullah Gurbaz before accelerating when the opener was dismissed, hitting the winning runs with a massive six to end unbeaten on 70* from 77 balls, sealing the victory with ten deliveries to spare.
Sport
Rashid Khan features in ICC T20I Team of the Year for 2024
Star Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan has been included in the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2024 announced on Saturday.
Rashid Khan was excellent in 2024, leading Afghanistan’s bowling attack, claiming 31 wickets in just 14 matches, boasting an incredible average of 9.58.
Rashid’s ability to consistently trouble any batter in the world was evident in his performances, particularly in the T20 World Cup, where he struck 14 times in eight games, as Afghanistan made their way into the last four for the first time ever.
A master of variation, Rashid was pivotal in Afghanistan’s success against stronger teams, often turning games with his incisive spells.
His consistency and match-winning ability cements his position as on of the leading all-rounders in the shortest format.
Players in ICC T20I Team of the Year for 2024: Rohit Sharma from India as captain, Travis Head (Australia), Phil Salt (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Arshdeep Singh (India)
-
Regional5 days ago
Syria orders freeze of bank accounts linked to former regime
-
World4 days ago
US issues broad freeze on foreign aid after Trump orders review
-
Latest News4 days ago
ICC arrest warrant request for IEA’s supreme leader has no legal basis: Foreign Ministry
-
Sport4 days ago
Three Afghans in ICC’s ODI Team of the Year for 2024
-
Latest News4 days ago
Trump says ‘Afghanistan disaster’ would not happen with him in power
-
Latest News5 days ago
International Day of Education: UNAMA says no country has thrived by leaving behind half its population
-
Latest News4 days ago
CSTO to start Tajikistan-Afghanistan border security plan this year
-
Latest News5 days ago
UNICEF: 242 million children’s schooling disrupted by climate crises in 85 countries last year