Author: TheStateLine

Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) Veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi produced a dazzling spell of 4-7 as Afghanistan crushed Canada by 82 runs in their final Group D clash and signed off from the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on a high at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.Inserted to bat first, Afghanistan piled up 200/4, powered by Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 95, his second successive fifty of the tournament. Sediqullah Atal chipped in with 44, as Afghanistan made a score of 200 in the tournament for the first time. Canada pacer Jaskaran Singh was the pick of their bowlers, claiming 3-52, but the visitors struggled to contain Afghanistan’s acceleration in the final overs, which yielded 69 runs.Canada’s reply began brightly, with Yuvraj Samra striking boundaries in the openin...

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) The India U17 men's football team, which is preparing for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026, will play two friendly matches against Myanmar in Yangon on March 3 and 5, 2026.The Blue Colts have already played four international friendly games this year -- two each against Tajikistan (in Goa) and Türkiye (in Antalya).After returning from Türkiye, Bibiano Fernandes' side has continued to train in Goa. India U-17 will depart for the Myanmar capital on February 28, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) informed in a release on Thursday.Like India, Myanmar too have qualified for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup. They topped Group C of the qualifiers, finishing above Oman, Syria, Afghanistan, and Nepal.India will take on Australia (May 6), Uzbekistan (May 10), and DPR Kor...

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) India opener Abhishek Sharma has endured a difficult start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, registering his third successive duck in the team’s final group-stage fixture against the Netherlands and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes expectations may be weighing heavily on the 25-year-old, urging him to focus on building his innings rather than forcing big shots too early.The sequence has placed Abhishek alongside Ashish Nehra for the most ducks by an Indian in T20 World Cup history, highlighting a rare slump for one of India’s most explosive batters.“Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against the USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top ba...