Connect with us

News

UAE Defeats Canada to Enhance Super 8s Qualification Chances

The United Arab Emirates boosted their slim chances of advancing to the T20 World Cup Super 8s, securing a narrow five-wicket victory over Canada, thanks in part to Aryansh Sharma’s unbeaten 74.

In a crucial match for the United Arab Emirates, Aryansh Sharma achieved his fifth T20 international half-century, contributing to the team's victory over Canada.

The Men's T20 World Cup, being held in Group D in Delhi, saw an intense competition between the two teams.

Canada's innings resulted in a total of 150-7 after 20 overs, with Harsh Thaker scoring 50 runs off 41 balls, while Junaid Siddique took 5 wickets for 35 runs.

The UAE team responded with a total of 154 runs in 19.4 overs, led by Aryansh Sharma's unbeaten 74 runs off 53 balls and Sohaib Khan's 51 runs off 29 balls, despite Bin Zafar taking 3 wickets for 14 runs.

The United Arab Emirates secured a five-wicket win over Canada, boosting their chances in the tournament.

Aryansh Sharma played a pivotal role in the UAE's win, scoring an unbeaten 74 runs to help his team overcome Canada's total.

With four overs remaining, Canada seemed poised to defend their total, but Sohaib Khan's aggressive batting reignited the UAE's chase, as he scored 17 runs off Dillon Heyliger's bowling.

In the final over, the UAE required eight runs to win, and Aryansh Sharma eased the pressure by hitting a six off Jaskaran Singh's first ball.

Sohaib Khan was dismissed after scoring a rapid 51 runs off 29 balls, including four sixes, leaving the scores level.

Muhammad Arfan then sealed the victory with two balls to spare, hitting a four off Jaskaran Singh, as Aryansh Sharma top-scored with 74 runs off 53 balls.

The UAE now stands third in Group D with two points, but they face an uphill task in their upcoming matches against full members South Africa and Afghanistan to advance to the next phase.

Although the UAE has never beaten a full member in any World Cup format, their performance in this match has given them some confidence.

Earlier in the match, Junaid Siddique achieved the best bowling figures by a UAE player in a T20 World Cup, taking 5 wickets for 35 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Harsh Thaker's 41-ball half-century, which included three sixes and two fours, provided a solid foundation for Canada's total.

Thaker and Navneet Dhaliwal shared a 58-run partnership to help Canada recover from a difficult start, before Dhaliwal was run out for 34 runs.

After Thaker fell victim to Junaid Siddique's slower ball, Canada struggled to find boundaries against the UAE's tight bowling.

Shreyas Movva made a useful contribution of 21 runs off 21 balls, but Junaid Siddique took two wickets in the final over to claim his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 internationals.

In a separate match, Zimbabwe's Brilliant Muzarabani played a key role in his team's stunning win over Australia.

For more updates, notifications, and social media coverage, visit the BBC Sport website.

In another development, Paul Stirling has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 World Cup due to injury.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

Consider Alternatives to Your Current Bank Account

According to Martin Lewis, the current moment may be an opportune time to consider switching bank accounts.

The complete episode is available for streaming on the BBC Sounds platform.

Continue Reading

News

Opponent of Orban Alleges Blackmail Plot Before Election

Peter Magyar allegedly believes that a sex tape featuring him, reportedly recorded in August 2024, may be made public.

With Hungary's election just weeks away, opposition leader Peter Magyar has come forward with allegations that his opponents are planning to use a secretly recorded sex tape to blackmail him, prompting him to file a complaint with the authorities.

Peter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, during a news conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Peter Magyar is ahead in the polls with less than two months to go before elections

According to Magyar, who is currently leading Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the polls, the alleged tape is from August 2024, when he claims to have had a consensual encounter with a former girlfriend at a social gathering.

The allegations surfaced after a photo of a bedroom, reportedly from the same time period, was posted online, sparking speculation about the circumstances surrounding the image.

Senior members of Orban's Fidesz party have denied any knowledge of the claims, and the BBC has reached out to Orban's spokesman for a response.

In a statement released on Friday, Magyar accused Fidesz of attempting to blackmail him, citing three instances of alleged unlawful conduct.

Although no video has been released, Magyar claims that any footage from the alleged incident would have been captured using secret service equipment and may have been manipulated.

Magyar's statement did not mention the former girlfriend, despite his previous accusation of extortion against her 15 months ago, which she has denied.

The woman in question has spoken to Hungarian media, stating that both she and Magyar are victims in the alleged video scandal and expressing her willingness to take legal action alongside him.

Magyar believes that Fidesz is deliberately timing their campaign to disrupt his nationwide tour, which is set to begin next week, and to tarnish his final week with his three sons before the April election.

Fidesz officials have responded to Magyar's allegations, with communications director Tamas Menczer accusing him of lying, and Viktor Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas stating that he cannot comment on something he is not aware of.

As Hungary approaches its parliamentary elections on 12 April, Magyar's centre-right Tisza party is currently leading Orban's Fidesz party by at least eight points, according to a recent opinion poll by the Idea Institute.

Orban, who has been in power for 16 years, has focused his campaign on criticizing the European Union, accusing Brussels of attempting to undermine his government, and has called for an end to EU funding for Ukraine, aligning himself with Vladimir Putin's stance.

With the official election campaign set to begin on 21 February, Magyar's allegations of underhanded tactics suggest that the upcoming weeks may be marked by controversy.

Over the past two years, Magyar has built a support base across Hungary by promising to revitalize the country's relationships with its European partners.

Magyar, a former Fidesz loyalist, was previously married to former justice minister Judit Varga, whose political career ended in a scandal in 2024, a year after their divorce.

Continue Reading

News

2027 Africa Cup of Nations Scheduled for June and July

African football president Patrice Motsepe has dismissed speculation that the Afcon 2027 finals, scheduled to take place in June and July of next year, may be postponed, describing such reports as entirely without basis.

Last month, Senegal emerged victorious against Morocco with a 1-0 score in extra time, securing the 2025 Afcon championship title.

According to Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe, the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is scheduled to take place in June and July of next year.

Motsepe, who is from South Africa, dismissed speculation that the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, might be postponed or relocated, describing such reports as "completely unfounded".

Concerns have been raised regarding the readiness of the necessary infrastructure in the three host countries to stage the tournament on time.

Nicholas Musonye, chair of Kenya's local organizing committee, suggested to AFP on Thursday that delaying the tournament until 2028 could be beneficial for Kenya, as the country is set to hold a general election in August 2027.

Motsepe expressed confidence in the upcoming Afcon, stating that the tournament in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will be "enormously successful".

He acknowledged that challenges are inevitable but emphasized the importance of self-belief and confidence in African capabilities.

Motsepe highlighted the high caliber of leaders in African football, describing them as "world-class" and a key factor in the continent's success.

Motsepe's comments came during a news conference following a meeting of Caf's executive committee in Dar es Salaam, where officials from the governing body are conducting an inspection of facilities and infrastructure in the three host nations until Tuesday.

Despite a commitment to host Afcon mid-year starting from 2019, the past three editions have been held during the January-February or December-January period, prompting disputes over player release dates.

As a result, Afcon will be held every four years instead of biennially from 2028, and the tournament will no longer coincide with the European club season.

Motsepe announced that the exact dates for the 2027 Afcon will be revealed at a later time.

While Motsepe did not provide an update on bids for the 2028 finals, he expressed his desire to expand Afcon from 24 to 28 teams in the future.

In a separate development, Motsepe confirmed that Caf is still in talks with Morocco regarding their hosting of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), which is set to begin on 17 March.

Earlier this month, South Africa's deputy sports minister suggested that her country could step in as an alternative host for the Wafcon 2026 finals.

However, South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie later clarified that Morocco remains the officially designated host of the tournament.

Motsepe revealed that other countries have expressed interest in hosting the Wafcon, but only if the date can be changed.

However, Motsepe emphasized that the date cannot be altered, as the Wafcon serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Motsepe reaffirmed that the Wafcon will proceed as planned and must take place within the designated timeframe to ensure its success.

Continue Reading

Trending