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New Zealand's Finn Allen celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) in the end of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Eden Gardens
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Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran watches the ball after playing a shot during the T20 World Cup group stage match against Canada at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai Thursday. (AFP) Afghanistan replaced Rashid Khan with Ibrahim Zadran as skipper Thursday for the T20I series against Sri Lanka but are still monitoring the situation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to stage the matches. Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said Zadran’s appointment is in alignment for future build-up. “In alignment with the ACB’s long-term strategic vision and following recent changes in our team management, we have made the thoughtful decision to appoint Zadran as new T20I skipper,” ACB said in a statement. Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the team in the ODI series which follows the T20Is. The series begins with three Twenty20 internationals in Sharjah on March 13, 15 and 17 before the ODIs are played in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25. Afghanistan crashed out in the first round of the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka after losing to South Africa and New Zealand. As a fall out, fast bowler Fazal Haq Farooqi, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq have been left out from both the squads, the release said. Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott also left the post after completing his tenure with another Englishman Richard Pybus taking over. ACB said it was constantly monitoring the situation in the UAE before making a final decision. “We are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in the region and a final decision will be made in a couple of days,” ACB said. “Should circumstances necessitate a change, the ACB will consider exploring alternative options for both the host country and the event schedule.” T20I Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Rahman, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Bilal Sami Related Story
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INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 04: Novak Djokovic of Serbia fields questions form the media during Day 1 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 04, 2026 in Indian
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Mikel Arteta slammed Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler’s claim that Arsenal “make their own rules” after the Premier League leaders moved a step closer to the title with a 1-0 win at the Amex Stadium on
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Novak Djokovic said he sees no reason to retire from tennis given that he is still motivated to compete and capable of beating the best players in the world.The 38-year-old Serb defeated defending champion Jannik
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Captain Harry Brook called correctly at the coin toss and England opted to bowl first against India in their Twenty20 World Cup semifinal on Thursday.India was unchanged from its win against the West Indies on
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Iraq’s hopes of World Cup qualification are being impacted by the Iran war because players cannot secure visas for the playoff tournament in Mexico and the team's coach is stranded in the United Arab Emirates."Because
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Oscar Piastri has moved to cool expectations of a drought-breaking win at his home Australian Grand Prix, insisting McLaren are not the dominant force that arrived at Albert Park 12 months ago.After seven race wins
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Oscar Piastri has moved to cool expectations of a drought-breaking win at his home Australian Grand Prix, insisting McLaren are not the dominant force that arrived at Albert Park 12 months ago. After seven race wins last season and a third-placing in the drivers championship, Piastri has generated huge buzz in his hometown Melbourne and is expected to draw record crowds for his bid to become the first home winner since the race joined Formula One in 1985. McLaren qualified both cars at the front of the grid last year and Lando Norris won the season-opener on a wet track, but Piastri said he had “no idea” whether he could win this year as the team grapples with F1’s biggest technical overhaul in decades. “Based off testing, we seem like we’re in the mix at the front,” he said. “I certainly wouldn’t be saying that we’re favourite to be winning. The picture doesn’t look quite as positive for us at the moment as it did 12 months ago. We’re in the mix, but we need to find a bit more.” Piastri led last year’s championship by 34 points before a mid-season slump opened the door for British teammate Norris to claim his maiden title. He said the disappointment of missing out had faded and he had little time to dwell on the past due to the short off-season and the need to get up to speed with the technical changes. He also said he felt no extra burden to perform at his home race, a year after finishing ninth following a skid into grass. “Obviously last year’s race didn’t end how I wanted, but you know, there’s no extra pressure to try and make up for that or anything,” he said. “We’ve got enough challenges to not be worrying about that.” Defending champion Norris may again loom as his toughest adversary, even with pre-season buzz surrounding Mercedes and Ferrari following their positive winter testing. McLaren gave equal treatment to Piastri and Norris last year, although there were controversies involving the application of the team’s so-called ‘Papaya Rules’. One involved the Australian letting Norris past after a botched pitstop by the team at Monza. Piastri said any issues from last season had been dealt with internally and the team had moved on. “We’re not going to be swapping each other around for no reason (when racing),” he said. “Again, if there’s any issues or tense moments that arise, then we’ll deal with it as a team, as we do and try to make some progress.” Related Story
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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be sidelined for between two and four weeks due to hamstring tendon injury. Portuguese veteran Cristiano Ronaldo has a hamstring tendon injury, his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr announced on Tuesday, but his participation in the 2026 World Cup does not appear to be in doubt. According to some media outlets, the 41-year-old captain of the Portuguese national team is expected to be sidelined for between two and four weeks, meaning he should be up and running well before the World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico and Canada on June 11. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player “has started a rehabilitation programme and his condition will be assessed day by day,” Al-Nassr said. Ronaldo, who is in line to play in a record sixth World Cup, was injured during a match at Al-Fayha last month in the Saudi Pro League. Inter rest starters but gain cup draw in Como Como and Inter Milan drew 0-0 in a cagey Italian Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday in which they managed just one shot on target between them. Inter manager Cristian Chivu made 10 changes from the team that beat Genoa on Saturday to go 10 points clear in Serie A. Cesc Fabregas’ Como largely dominated the match but squandered a series of promising positions. Winger Mergim Vojvoda missed at least three clear first-half chances while full-back Alex Valle spurned a good chance just after half-time. In the other semi-final, Lazio host Atalanta. Kounde, Balde out ahead of Barca’s Newcastle tie Barcelona will be without defenders Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde for their Champions League last 16 tie against Newcastle after they were diagnosed with hamstring injuries. Both players were taken off hurt during Barca’s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, with the Catalans ousted 4-3 on aggregate. “The time of the recovery process (for Balde) will be four weeks,” said Barcelona in a statement, without specifying how long Kounde will miss. Spanish media reported France international Kounde, 27, is likely to be sidelined for a similar length of time. As well as the Champions League matches, the duo will also miss La Liga games against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona are currently also without midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who also has a hamstring injury. The injury makes Kounde a doubt for France’s friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States at the end of March, in the build up to this summer’s World Cup. Balde is a Spain international but has been behind Marc Cucurella and Alex Grimaldo in coach Luis de la Fuente’s pecking order. Galatasaray fans banned from game at Liverpool Galatasaray will not be able to sell tickets to their fans for this month’s Champions League clash at Liverpool, after UEFA’s Appeals Body confirmed the sanctions they received over their supporters throwing objects, lighting fireworks and causing disturbances during last week’s trip to Juventus. Media reports said a man and his daughter were injured as a firework was thrown towards Juventus fans in Turin where the Italian club, down to 10 men, wiped out a three-goal deficit from a 5-2 loss in the first leg to force extra time in their Champions League playoff tie. Turkish champions Galatasaray, who scored twice in extra time to qualify for the round of 16 with a 7-5 aggregate win, were also fined 40,000 euros ($46,000) by UEFA’s disciplinary committee for the fans’ behaviour. Galatasaray’s appeal against the punishment was rejected. Liverpool visit Galatasaray on Tuesday, with the second leg set for March 18. More Asian Champions League matches postponed indefinitely Next week’s matches in Asian tournaments scheduled in the Middle East have been postponed until further notice due to the conflict in the region, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said. The US and Israel’s attack on Iran has affected countries throughout the Gulf, disrupting travel in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs and forcing several sporting events to be cancelled. Western region clashes in the Asian Champions League Elite, Champions League Two and the third-tier Challenge League, scheduled for next week between Monday and Wednesday, have been postponed, the AFC said in a statement. The AFC earlier postponed this week’s Asian Champions League Elite round of 16 clashes in the Middle East, as Iran cancelled all sporting events and the Qatar Football Association suspended all matches in the country. “The AFC’s priority remains the safety and security of all stakeholders including players, teams, officials, partners and fans and we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring a secure environment for all,” the continental body said in a statement. Related Story
