Sports
Afghanistan storm into Super Eight; New Zealand knocked out
Afghanistan booked their place in Super Eight, thereby knocking New Zealand out of men’s T20 World Cup 2024, after a seven-wicket win over PNG in Tarouba.Their win was set up by new-ball spells from fast bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq that saw Papua New Guinea lose five wickets inside the powerplay. A total of four run-outs did not help PNG’s cause either as they were dismissed for 95.
Afghanistan romped home with 29 balls to spare with Gulbadin Naib staying unbeaten on 49. The result meant that for the first time since 2014, New Zealand bowed out before the semi-final stage of a men’s World Cup – ODI or T20.With six points and a net run rate of 4.230, Afghanistan lead Group C.
A target of 96 would not have worried Afghanistan. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran had added century stands for the opening wicket in each of their first two games. Gurbaz had struck fifties in those outings. As a result, the middle order had barely had time in the middle. On Thursday, Afghanistan’s worst fears nearly came true.
Semo Kamea, brought in for vice-captain Charles Amini, almost struck first ball when Ibrahim was ruled out lbw. He used the DRS to his benefit but lost his stumps three balls later while trying to attack an inswinger from Kamea. In the next over, fast bowler Alei Neo knocked over Gurbaz, who also charged down to heave one across the line. PNG could have put even more pressure on Afghanistan had wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga hung on to Naib’s outside edge in the fifth over.
PNG were left to rue those chances on a surface with dry grass, which, as Daren Ganga had said in his pitch report, contributed to variable bounce. The proof was in Azmatullah Omarzai’s dismissal when a length ball from Norman Vanua barely got up and bowled him.
But Naib, in the company of Mohammad Nabi, countered the conditions to ensure Afghanistan faced no further hiccups.
PNG made almost the right start after being sent in. A double through fine leg, a single through point, a cut shot for four – they were ticking along without any risk. But it all went south when captain Assad Vala was run out in the second over. Going for the third run, his bat was in the air at the non-striker’s end when Gurbaz nailed a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Had Vala slid his bat, he would have been safe.
Farooqi then did what he does best: flummox batters with swing. He had Lega Siaka caught behind by Gurbaz diving full length to his right and then, on the next ball, Sese Bau also nicked one behind.
When Naveen got Hiri Hiri to chop one onto his stumps on the first ball of the fourth over, PNG had lost four wickets in nine balls. Batting first on a used surface that hosted the West Indies-New Zealand clash just 24 hours ago, that was handing over advantage on a platter.
When Naveen crashed through Tony Ura for his 50th T20I wicket, PNG were reduced to 30 for 5. PNG needed to bat a few overs safely at that point, and Chad Soper and Doriga did that for 24 balls while scoring 16 runs. But in the tenth over, both were guilty of ball-watching, which resulted in Soper being run out.
Doriga then used the slog sweep and sweep to rotate strike against Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad. Neo punished the seamers when they bowled on his pads. The pair was effective without being enterprising and added 38 off 34 balls.
Once Doriga was done in by a wrong’un from Noor to be trapped lbw, PNG lost their last three wickets for just seven runs.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 101 for 3 in 15.1 overs (Gulbadin Naib 49*; Alei Neo 1-26, Semo Kamea 1-16, Norman Vanua 1-18) beat Papua New Guinea 95 in 19.5 overs (Kiplin Doriga 27; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-16, Naveen Ul-Haq 2-04, Noor Ahmad 1-14) by seven wickets
(Cricinfo)
The Sri Lanka Cricket selection panel has handed the white-ball captaincy to Kusal Mendis for the upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies next month. Dhananjay de Silva will continue to lead the side in the two Tests.
Kusal Mendis takes over the ODI captaincy from Charith Asalanka, who was named in the 16-man squad, while Kamindu Mendis was named vice-captain. In T20Is, Kusal Mendis takes over the leadership from Dasun Shanaka, who led the side until the recent T20 World Cup, where Sri Lanka failed to make the knockouts. While Shanaka retained his place in the 16-man T20I squad, Asalanka did not.
Wanidu Hasaranga is set to return to action – named in the ODI and T20I squads – after his injury during the T20 World Cup has kept him off the field since early February. He tore his left hamstring at the time and missed the ongoing IPL after that for Lucknow Super Giants.
The tour starts with three ODIs from June 3 to 8 followed by the three T20Is on June 11, 13 and 14. The two Tests will be played at the Viv Richards Stadium in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara, Kasun Rajitha
Sri Lanka ODI squad:
Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan
Sri Lanka T20I squad:
Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lasith Croospulle, Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara
(Cricinfo)
Chasing the fourth playoffs spot, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) entered their match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Eden Gardens hoping Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. In that case, KKR would have needed to chase down their target in about 12 overs to pip Punjab Kings on net run rate and finish in the top four. But with Mumbai losing, both PBKS and KKR were knocked out, reducing this match to a dead rubber as early as the fourth over of the first innings.
In the end, KKR lost this game as well. After DC rode on KL Rahul’s 30-ball 60 to post 203 for 5, KKR were 126 for 3 after 13 overs. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh off successive deliveries to derail them. Eventually, KKR were all out for 163 in 18.4 overs.
After opting to bowl, KKR started with left-arm spinner Anukul Roy to left-hand batter Abishek Porel. After two dots, Porel picked up two successive fours to make it a ten-run over. Left-arm seamer Saurabh Dubey, though, was effective. Sharing the new ball, he found movement off the seam and also used the slower ball to good effect. He conceded only five runs from his two overs in the powerplay and had Porel caught behind. Porel was dropped by Tejasvi Dahiya off Kartik Tyagi off 18 but could add only four more to his tally.
In the last over of the powerplay, Sahil Parakh also got a reprieve. He was on 7 when he reversed-swept Sunil Narine towards cover-point where Rinku grassed the chance. Narine eventually had him caught at extra cover for 24 off 17.
Rahul showed his class once again, especially against Narine. In the eighth over, he stepped out twice in a row and hit him for a six and a four. In the spinner’s next over, he launched him over long-on from the crease for another six. In all, Rahul hit Narine for 21 off nine balls. He reached his fifty off 25 balls before dragging Roy to long-on.
After Rahul’s wicket, Axar Patel and David Miller kept DC going. They added 41 off just 25 balls before Axar holed out to long-on trying a third six off Varun Chakravarthy’s final over. He made 39 off 25 balls. Dubey conceded only eight in the 18th over but Miller spoiled his figures somewhat in the 20th by hitting him for two sixes. The seamer had the last laugh, though, as he had Miller caught at mid-off off a full toss. Dubey was denied a third wicket by Dahiya, who dropped Ashutosh Sharma off the final delivery of the innings. Ashutosh, once again, played a handy knock of 18 not out off 11.
Finn Allen opened his account with a first-ball four off Mitchell Starc. In the bowler’s next over, he hit him for a six and a four off successive balls. From the other end, Rahane smashed back-to-back sixes off Auqib Nabi to take KKR to 43 after four overs. Lungi Ngidi provided some relief when he had Allen chopping on in a four-run fifth over. With Axar conceding only eight in the sixth, KKR ended the powerplay on 55 for 1.
Just when it looked like KKR were falling behind the asking rate, Rahane and Manish Pandey combined to hit Axar for three sixes in a 21-run eighth over. But Ngidi struck once again – he dismissed Pandey for 25, courtesy an excellent diving catch by Starc at long-on. In the next over, Kuldeep had Cameron Green caught at long-off, leaving KKR 96 for 3 in the tenth over.
Rahane brought up his fifty, his second of the season, off 31 balls but Kuldeep had him and Rinku caught in the deep off successive deliveries to dent KKR’s chase. He missed the hat-trick only because Porel put down Dahiya behind the stumps. Dahiya couldn’t capitalise on the reprieve and fell to Axar soon after.
When substitute fielder Sameer Rizvi’s direct hit from long-off found Rovman Powell short at the non-striker’s end, the end was swift. There was no Narine with the bat, as Allen had replaced him as Impact Player during the first innings itself, and the lower order didn’t have the skills to deal with Starc and Ngidi. All told, KKR lost their last seven wickets for 37 runs.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 203 for 5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Porel 22, KL Rahul 60, Sahil Parakh 24, Axar Patel 39,David Miller 28, Ashutosh Sharma 18*; Anukul Roy 1-23, Saurabh Dubey 2-28, Sunil Narine 1-38, Varun Chakravarthy 1-35) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 in 18.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 63,Finn Allen 20, Manish Pandey 25, Rovman Powell 29; Mitchell Starc 2-26, Lungi Ngidi 3-27, Axar Patl 1-38, Kuldeep Yadav 3-29) by 40 runs
[Cricinfo]
Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Karnataka’s Luvnith Sisodia as a replacement for the injured Matheesha Pathirana ahead of their final round-robin clash of IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals. Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury sustained during KKR’s win over Gujarat Titans last weekend.
Pathirana was one of KKR’s marquee signings at the player auction with the Knight Riders forking out INR 18 crore to avail his services. His arrival at the competition was delayed by a left calf injury sustained during Sri Lanka’s Super Eight finish at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, before he was cleared to join the team mid-April.
Having warmed the benches, Pathirana finally got into the XII against GT but bowled only 1.2 overs before going off the field with evident discomfort in his left hamstring.
Sisodia, a left-handed wicket-keeper batter who has played 15 T20s for Karnataka, is yet to play an IPL game. He has been part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and KKR in the past, having been signed by the latter at the 2025 mega auction. His addition bolsters the team’s wicket-keeping stocks after Angkrish Raghuvanshi was ruled out with a concussion and a finger fracture.
KKR will stay in the hunt for the playoffs if Rajasthan Royals lose to Mumbai Indians. They must however beat Delhi Capitals by a huge margin in order to then pip Punjab Kings to the Eliminator. (Cricbuzz)
Sri Lanka name Kusal Mendis as ODI and T20I captain for West Indies tour
Cambodia’s former opposition leader receives royal pardon for 27-year sentence
Death toll rises to four in Philippines building collapse; 17 missing
India gifts 134 cabs to Sri Lanka Police
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura extended till 1600 hrs on Tuesday [26]
Attacks on Ebola centres intensify in eastern DRC amid outbreak fears
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features6 days agoOctopus, Leech, and Snake: How Sri Lanka’s banks feast while the nation starves
-
Sports6 days agoSri Lanka women’s volleyball team ready for Central Asian challenge
-
Opinion5 days agoMurder of Ehelepola family, Bogambara Wewa and Sightings of Wangediya
-
News5 days agoSteps underway to safeguard Sri Lanka’s maritime heritage
-
Business4 days agoHistoric launch of CCWE Fashion Week & International Summit 2026
-
Features2 days agoThe NPP’s pivot to the past
-
Editorial5 days agoA play without its protagonist
-
News22 hours agoPolice probe underway to ascertain links between criminals deported from UAE and local politicians