The Afghanistan cricket team is set to play a T20 series against India in January 2024. This marks the first time the Afghan team will compete in a T20 series against India.
The ICC has relocated the Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa due to administrative uncertainties in Sri Lankan cricket. Meanwhile, India faced a 3-0 defeat against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Here are the top 10 sports news stories.
Afghanistan to Play First T20 Series Against India: The Afghanistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the Afghan team will tour India for a T20 series in January 2024. This series will consist of three T20 matches, with the first match scheduled for January 11, 2024, in Mohali, followed by the second on January 14, 2024, in Indore, and the final match on January 17, 2024, in Bangalore. It marks the first T20 series between the two teams.
ICC Introduces New Rule: The ICC has agreed to implement a stop clock trial in men’s ODIs and T20 cricket from December 2023 to April 2024. This clock will be used to reduce the time taken between overs. According to the new rule, if the bowling team is not ready to start the next over within 60 seconds of the completion of the previous over, a penalty of 5 runs will be imposed in case of a third occurrence in an innings. The decision was made during an ICC board meeting.
Under-19 World Cup Moved from Sri Lanka to South Africa: The ICC has decided to relocate the Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa due to administrative uncertainties in Sri Lankan cricket. After careful consideration, the ICC board suspended Sri Lanka Cricket on November 10. Cricket activities will continue in Sri Lanka.
India Faces 3-0 Defeat Against Qatar in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: India had to cope with a 3-0 loss against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. This setback occurred in the qualification match, highlighting the challenges the Indian football team encountered. The defeat poses a significant hurdle in India’s journey towards the World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav Aims to Break Kohli’s Record: Suryakumar Yadav has the opportunity to surpass Virat Kohli’s record as the fastest Indian batsman to score 2000 runs in T20 internationals. If Yadav manages to score 159 runs in the upcoming T20 series against Australia, he will set a new record. Currently, Kohli holds the record with 56 innings, while Yadav has accumulated 1841 runs in 50 innings.
Australia Declared Best Fielding Team in ICC ODI Rankings: After winning the ODI World Cup 2023, Australia has been declared the best fielding team by the ICC. Australia leads the fielding impact rating with 383.58 points, followed by South Africa with 340.59 points. The Netherlands is in third place with 292.02 points, and India is in fourth place with 281.04 points.
Record-Breaking Attendance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: The recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India set a new record with a total of 1,250,307 spectators attending the matches in stadiums. This figure surpassed the magical number of 1 million spectators in a single tournament. The World Cup witnessed record-breaking attendance, surpassing the figures from the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Bizarre Incident in ICC World Cup Final: During the ICC World Cup Cricket final, an Australian fan, identified as Van Johnson, was arrested for trespassing onto the field wearing a T-shirt in support of Palestine. Initially detained for a day, Johnson was released on bail under the condition of cooperating with the investigation and submitting his passport to the court.
India Faces 3-0 Defeat Against Qatar in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: The Indian football team suffered a 3-0 defeat against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. None of the Indian players managed to score a goal. Mustafa Tarek Mashal (4th minute), Almeoz Ali (47th minute), and Yousuf Adurisag (86th minute) scored for Qatar. This defeat adds challenges to India’s aspirations in the World Cup qualifiers.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Nominated for BWF Best Player Award: Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have been nominated for the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Best Player Award. The men’s doubles pair has recently clinched several titles, including the historic gold medal at the Asian Games. Their achievements also include a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and being part of the Indian team that won the 2022 Thomas Cup.
Pankaj Advani Wins World Billiards Championship: Renowned Indian cueist Pankaj Advani secured his 26th IBSF World Billiards Championship title by defeating compatriot Sourav Kothari in the final. Despite initially trailing 26-180 in the opening hours, Advani managed a comeback, defeating Kothari 1000-416 in Kuala Lumpur. This victory adds another feather to Advani’s illustrious career in billiards.
