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Champions Trophy: Atal and Omarzai fifties carry Afghanistan to 273 against Australia

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Lahore, Feb 28: Sediqullah Atal overcame an early examination to hit 85, while Azmatullah Omarzai shined with 67 to help Afghanistan post a competitive 273 in their 50 overs against Australia in the Group B Champions Trophy clash at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

With the new ball nipping around, Atal had to wait for his chances before hitting six fours and three sixes in his 95-ball vigil at the crease. After a middle-order meltdown, Omarzai, the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2024, smacked five sixes and a four in his superb 63-ball knock at the back end. For Australia, who conceded 37 extras, Ben Dwarshuis was the standout bowler with 3-47, while Adam Zampa and Spencer Johnson took two scalps each. Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Ellis had one wicket each as Australia now need to chase down 274 on a slow Lahore pitch.

Electing to bat first, Afghanistan didn’t have a great start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz was castled for a duck by a ripping inswinging yorker from Johnson in the first over. With Johnson and Dwarshuis getting the ball to hoop around, Atal was beaten on numerous occasions on the outside edge.

Despite playing and missing a lot of deliveries, Atal and Ibrahim Zadran managed to weather the early storm by collecting two boundaries each as Afghanistan ended the first power-play at 54/1. But Afghanistan lost Zadran in the 14th over as Zampa had him cut a short ball straight to backward point and fall for 22.

Five overs later, Rahmat Shah tried to drive off the back foot against Maxwell but got an outside edge and was caught behind by Josh Inglis for 12. Atal marched forward to bring up his third fifty-plus score in eight ODI innings in grand style by dispatching a six off Maxwell over mid-on off 64 balls.

Though Atal hit two fours and as many sixes later, it didn’t help that captain Hashmatullah Shahidi struggled to get going. In a bid to keep attacking, Atal went for a punch on the up but spooned one to Smith at short cover and fell for 85 in the 32nd over. Four overs later, Shahidi’s scratchy stay ended when he got a top edge on a sweep off Zampa and was caught by backward square-leg for 20. Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib falling within the three overs left Afghanistan at a precarious 199/7 at the end of the 40th over.

Though Omarzai hit two sixes and Rashid Khan smashed as many fours, Australia clawed back as Rashid holed out to long-on off Dwarshuis for 19. Omarzai, though, marched forward to bring up his fifty in 54 balls and launched three sixes off Ellis, including twice in the 49th over. He went to smash Dwarshuis for four before holing out in the deep off him. By then, Omarzai had done a fine job of taking Afghanistan past the 270-run mark.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan 273 all out in 50 overs (Sediqullah Atal 85, Azmatullah Omarzai 67; Ben Dwarshuis 3-47, Adam Zampa 2-48) against Australia

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Art remains immortal: Assam CM condoles death of legendary actor Manoj Kumar

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Guwahati, April 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday condoled the death of ace Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar and asserted that art remains immortal.

Taking to X, Sarma mentioned, “Even today, Manoj Kumar ji’s films inspire countrymen and fill them with energy to dream new dreams. Many of my childhood memories are associated with the songs of his films.”

“Whether an artist lives or not, his art remains immortal. Om Shanti,” he further mentioned in the X post.

Veteran actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar breathed his last on Friday at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He was 87.

Reportedly, the medical reports reveal that Manoj Kumar’s death was caused by cardiogenic shock resulting from an acute myocardial infarction, a severe heart attack.

The reports also indicated that he had been struggling with decompensated liver cirrhosis in recent months, which had worsened his health.

The legendary actor was admitted to the hospital on February 21 when his health deteriorated.

Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO and Executive Director at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, said in an official statement, “Veteran actor Shri Manoj Kumar ji passed away peacefully at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital early this morning at around 3:30 am, due to age-related health issues. He had been hospitalised for the past few weeks.”

Following the news of his passing, tributes quickly flooded in from celebrities, politicians, and fans alike.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sorrow, mourning the loss of the legendary actor-director.

Taking to his X handle, he tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj ji’s works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”

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IPL 2025: ‘Aggression isn’t about hitting sixes but showing correct intent’, Venkatesh on KKR’s win over SRH

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Kolkata, April 4: Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer provided valuable insights into his team’s comprehensive 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025 on Thursday and explained that aggression isn’t about hitting every ball for a maximum; it’s about showing correct intent.

Iyer, who smashed a brilliant 60 off just 29 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes, played a crucial role in taking KKR to a formidable total of 200 after a cautious start at the Eden Gardens in a replay of the last edition’s final.

“A basic but very important meaning of aggression is to show positive but correct intent when we play cricket,” Iyer explained when asked about KKR’s batting approach.

“If we are 50 for six and I still go and tonk everything, that’s positive but not correct. If we are to call ourselves smart cricketers, it’s very important to read any situation and then react accordingly.”

The left-hander clarified that KKR’s definition of aggression isn’t about mindlessly hitting every ball for boundaries. “Aggression does not mean hitting every ball for a maximum. It’s about how you understand the conditions and can maximise the conditions in your favour,” he elaborated.

Iyer credited his teammates — especially skipper Ajinkya Rahane and young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi — for providing valuable inputs during the strategic timeout that helped him assess the pitch conditions better. Stitching a crucial partnership of 81 in 51 balls, Rahane scored 38 runs, while Raghuvanshi hit 50.

“The main communication was by Ajinkya and Angkrish. The messages they sent during the time-out made us understand that it’s not an easy pitch to just go out there and hit. You have to take your time,” he said.

KKR’s batting strategy relied on Iyer and Rinku Singh laying a foundation before accelerating in the death overs, knowing they had destructive batters like Andre Russell waiting in the dugout. “I have that luxury because we have Rinku, Ramandeep (Singh), and (Andre) Russell in the back end. Even if I take a few balls, I know that I can cover it to an extent. We still have our engine room which can demolish any bowling attack,” Iyer added.

When discussing SRH’s ultra-aggressive batting approach that faltered against KKR’s bowling attack led by Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy (who took three wickets each), Iyer mentioned, “We’re not comfortable with any score when it comes to SRH. A team which is ultra-aggressive always carries the risk of losing wickets, and that’s what we wanted to exploit.”

Iyer also expressed appreciation for facing star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who recently returned to cricketing action after a long layoff due to injury. “The cricket fan in me is very happy to see Shami Bhai back and running in full flow. It was extremely challenging to play him in the Ranji trophy as well, but here in T20, the bowler also has a mindset that if they err, they can get hit for a boundary,” he concluded.

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IPL 2025: Only unfinished business is lifting the trophy, says SRH’s Nitish Reddy

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New Delhi, April 3: After ending up as runners-up in the last edition of the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy feels that the only unfinished business for the franchise is to lift the trophy this season.

SRH had a tough start to the IPL 2025 season as they lost their last two matches and are placed in eighth place in the standings. They will look to add two points against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday, in a rematch of the IPL 2024 final.

“To be honest, I never set personal goals, even when playing for India or in the IPL last year. The only unfinished business is lifting the trophy. We created history with some records, but our ultimate goal is to win the IPL title and add a second star to SRH’s legacy,” Reddy said on JioHotstar’s show ‘Gen Bold’.

Reflecting on his growth since the breakthrough last season, where he scored 303 runs in 13 matches for SRH and went on to make his India debut in T20I and Test formats, Reddy said, “I am very happy with the progress I’ve made, both in my performances for my country and my IPL franchise. I want to continue delivering at the same level. There has been a significant change – people have started recognising me and praising my performances.

“However, I don’t want to let this get to my head. Moving forward, I want to play with the same passion and consistency, whether it’s for my franchise or India. My focus remains on keeping my love for cricket alive.”

The 21-year-old lauded Pat Cummins’ leadership skills and termed him a calm and composed captain. “He is an extremely calm and composed leader. The way he handles pressure is remarkable. When you see your captain managing things so smoothly, it instils confidence in the entire group.”

“His composure helps us believe that we can always make a comeback. As a captain, he is brilliant, and I truly enjoy playing under his leadership,” Reddy said.

On SRH’s explosive batting line-up, he added, “I would rate my team very highly. We had an incredible season last year, and we want to replicate that success. Our strategy is simple – playing with a free mind, maximizing runs in the powerplay, and carrying that momentum into the later overs. Whether it’s the top or middle order, everyone has a role to play. We’re hopeful for another great season.”

Reddy picked Kagiso Rabada as the toughest bowler to face in the IPL and said facing him was a tough challenge.

“I guess I have started understanding the bowlers better now. Just as they study my game, I analyse theirs too. My approach will remain the same, but I will adapt to situations as required. Last year, I didn’t play the first four matches, but when I did, I found Kagiso Rabada particularly challenging. When we played against Punjab, he was very expressive on that wicket, and facing him there was a tough challenge for me,” he said.

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