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Team unity, newfound aggression key to RCB’s dramatic IPL turnaround

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru have dragged themselves back into the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff race after their early season struggles and skipper Faf du Plessis believes a bolder approach in recent matches had sparked their revival.

After losing seven of their first eight matches, RCB embarked on a superb five-match winning spree, with Sunday’s 47-run win over Delhi Capitals lifting them to fifth in the table with 12 points, above Delhi and Lucknow on net run rate, Reuters reported.

Needing a win to keep their top-four hopes alive, RCB shrugged off the early dismissals of Du Plessis and top-scorer Virat Kohli as Will Jacks made a 29-ball 41 and Rajat Patidar smashed a 32-ball 52 to help them post 187-9.

Their bowlers ripped through Delhi to dismiss them for 140 in 19.1 overs, with pacer Yash Dayal claiming three wickets.

“We want to play that style of cricket – RCB talks about playing bold,” Du Plessis said. “Just proud that we can actually do that now, putting our performance together.

“It’s just confidence, isn’t it?. First half of the season, we were really fighting for it, didn’t quite come together for us. You just need a couple of guys to find their form in the tournament and it’s happened.”

Victory over Delhi marked the third straight match that RCB had bowled a team out and they have posted totals of 200 or more in five of their last seven games.

“There’s been a positive change. Even when we were losing, nobody was pointing fingers at anyone,” Dayal said.

“We’ve been positive throughout the season and we’ve become more attacking. We’ve switched that mode on.”

Meanwhile, Yash Dayal who took three wickets against Delhi Capitals, also felt that the strong sense of team unity is a key factor for their team’s dramatic turnaround.

“There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone’s name out. This supportive atmosphere, coupled with a newfound aggressive approach, seems to be the winning formula for RCB,” Dayal said.

“There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone out, so it’s a big positive point. And all through the season, we were positive. And now we have become more attacking.”

RCB face third-placed Chennai Super Kings in what could be a virtual quarterfinal between the two teams on Saturday.

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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.

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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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Asian Cup: Afghanistan’s beach soccer team arrives in Thailand

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Afghanistan’s national beach soccer team arrived in Thailand on Tuesday to participate in a training camp ahead of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025.

Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) said in a post on Facebook that a 10-day training camp has been organized for the national beach soccer team in order for the players to enhance their skills ahead of the tournament.

The Afghan national beach soccer team is placed in Group C of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 alongside the beach soccer teams of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.

AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025 will kick off on March 20 and run through to March 30. Thailand is the official host.

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India upbeat over Champions Trophy win against New Zealand

The final on Sunday in Dubai will decide the winner of the eight-nation tournament played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

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India’s Shubman Gill on Saturday said the team will look to win the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand to get over their 2023 ODI World Cup title defeat.

The final on Sunday in Dubai will decide the winner of the eight-nation tournament played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

“I am quite excited,” vice-captain Gill told reporters. “My second ICC event for team India and second final. The last time which we couldn’t do, we will try to do it this time.”

India went down to Australia in the 50-over World Cup final in November 2023 on home soil in Ahmedabad in a heartbreaking defeat for the team, which had come into the title clash unbeaten, AFP reported.

However, Rohit Sharma’s team eased the heartache of fans a few months later when they lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup title — India’s first victory in a major global event since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Gill, who was not part of the T20 triumph, said the ICC title in Barbados allows the team to go into Sunday’s final without any baggage.

“It’s also about once you get one title that kind of breaks the jinx and then it gives you the momentum and also you are not desperate about getting the title,” said Gill.

“Winning the title in 2024 doesn’t mean that we are less hungry, but it kind of gives us more balance that we have won an ICC title and we will try to do our best to win this one.”

India come into the title clash unbeaten in four matches after they went past Australia in the semi-final to eye a third Champions Trophy crown, AFP reported.

India have played all their matches in Dubai after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan due to political tensions.

Gill said the importance of a final does come into the equation when they walk out but a champion team knows how to handle pressure.

“The big-match pressure is always there,” said Gill.

“This is the reason why we talk about big teams of previous years, including West Indies and Australia. Those teams played their best cricket in knock-outs. Easier said than done, but good teams play their best cricket under pressure.”

Virat Kohli has been in top form as he hit an unbeaten 100 against arch-rivals Pakistan in a group game and hit 84 in another successful chase in the semi-final.

Rohit has been slammed for not converting his starts into bigger scores, but his quick cameos have nonetheless allowed the team to build totals.

Gill, who opens with Rohit, said India’s batting depth has allowed the top-order to bat freely.

“I think this is the best batting line-up that I have been part of,” said Gill. “Rohit, Virat, I think all-time one-day greats. Rohit one of the best openers in white-ball and Virat one of the best ODI batsman ever,” he said.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch the final live and exclusively in the country on Ariana Television. The final gets underway at 1:30pm Kabul time.

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