Proteas in their first ever World Cup Finals (image: Current Affairs- Adda247)
The T20 World Cup had enough shock awaiting us as Afghanistan denied the Aussies their spot in the final four. While South Africa also gained a spot with undefeated form in the Cup so far.
The first semi-final was played at Trinidad as Afghanistan dared to bat first against a vehement Protea pace attack. Afghanistan has put on resilient batting performances before and has hoped to repeat the same in the semi-final under better batting conditions at Trinidad.
Star Afghan batter Gurbaz was expected to step up on this occasion; however, he failed Marco Jansen’s opening spell, and Zadran followed him back to the dugout as Rabada rattled his stumps wide.
Jansen, Rabada, and Nortje broke the back of the Afghanistan batting order; the middle order once again failed to show any form as the Afghanistan team was all-out for 56.
The Afghan bowlers didn’t have much to do as none could defend a score like 57 in front of giants like South Africa. South Africans scored 60 runs in a blistering 8.5 overs and qualified for their first-ever World Cup final.
The Proteas will play their first-ever World Cup final at Kensington Oval against the winners of the second semi-final, either defending champions England or Men in Blue India.
With South Africa’s stunning form, they are now the most deserving contenders to lift the World Cup, whoever be their competitors.
India’s undefeated run at the ICC T20 World cup 2024 continues as the Men in Blue are all set to face England in the 2nd semi-final. Meanwhile, Inzamam-ul-Haq the former Pakistan captain has accused India of ball tampering. Inzamam-ul-Haq claims that something was done to the ball on 24th June when India was playing with Australia. Due to this advantage India’s left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh managed to produce the ” reverse swing” during Australia’s batting.
” You must understand that Arshdeep Singh managed to do the reverse swing in the 15th over. Is it too early for a new ball? It means the ball was ready for reverse swing by the 11th or 12th over. Umpires should keep their eyes open,” told Inzamam-ul-Haq apparently indicating at India doing ” something Wrong ” with the ball.
At Pakistan’s 24 News channel on one show ‘World cup Hungama’ Inzamam-ul-Haq commented. He was accompanied by another former Pakistan skipper, Saleem Malik. Malik resonated Inzamam-ul-Haq’s statement and said, ” Umpires always have their eyes closed for some teams. India are one of those.”
He continued, “If it was a Pakistan’s bowler, there could have been controversy.” He was saying by watching India another video that Rohit Sharma’s boys ” outclassed Australia “.
Indian cricket fans react
Meanwhile Indian cricket fans have acted to the apparent ball-tampering allegations.
Did not expect this statement from Ex. Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, As Indian players have always given him respect and love. Many of Indian think he is one of the few responsible and honest person in Pakistan cricket but this statement has proven that you can never trust these people.” one cricket fan wrote.
“Pakistani always from beginning questions honesty of Indian bowlers and try to show that only Pakistani bowlers are real. Pakistani always feels jealous but they don’t want to show it, they talk like this. Even in World cup 2023 also they were unable to digest the fact that India is playing good and Indian bowlers are so good. They were saying that the bowl of Indian bowlers had the chip in it. This statements shows their huge hate for India and Indians always comes out anyhow. I seriously pity them.” wrote another.
“Shame on you Inzi. Just because your cricketers could reverse swing the ball only by tampering it…that doesn’t mean everybody does same…try to respect other cricketers skills….” another fan commented.
Portugal's high chances of landing 3 consecutive wins in Euro 2024 (image: NDTV Sports)
Euros have been unbelievably competitive as several heavyweight teams, including England and France, have failed to dominate. However, the Spanish side has been the first-hand dominators alongside the stunning Portugal side, who have won both games played yet.
Spain is the only team in the group stage so far who have won on all 3 occasions, and the team that stands a second chance is the Portuguese side. Roberto Martinez has led his team to comfortable wins in both the outings against Czech Republic and Turkey.
Portugal will play their final game against Georgia tonight and will look to win the group with a standout clean sweep over groupmates Czech, Turkey, and debutants Georgia. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and the veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo once again step onto the field in the hunt for the third consecutive win in the Euro 2024.
Georgia will be taking on favorites Portugal at Gelsenkirchen, hoping to take their chances to continue their almost slipped-away Euro campaign. On the other hand, a confident Ronaldo and co. will be looking to carry semblance into the Round of 16, where there might once again be chances of meeting Belgium, the team that got them out of contention in the previous edition.
An unbeaten streak would help Martinez’s boys have their heads held high when they play their first knockout game against another European giant. With Georgia not being the topmost side under contention, Portugal does stand a fair chance to enter the Round of 16 with 3 wins on 3 occasions.
New role for Cristiano Ronaldo (image: Sportskeeda)
This season, the Euro has come to its ending games of the group stages before the top 16 teams of Europe move into the knockouts. Portugal, undoubtedly placed as one of the heavyweights in the Cup, has their icon Ronaldo having a last dance in the season.
Portugal, the winner of the Euro 2016, faced an early upset in the previous Euro instalment in 2020, as they were shown the way out by Belgium in the first stage of the knockouts.
This season has turned out to be a dream season for the Portuguese so far, as Portugal landed a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic before sending Turkey home with a 3-0 stunner.
In either game, we are yet to see the Portuguese star scoring on a single occasion. Yet, the legend was seen displaying an outstanding class of selfless gameplay, as he went on to have several touches, including the vital ball for Bruno Fernandes to score the third goal for Portugal against Turkey.
It was often said that Ronaldo needed to attain his prime to justify his place in the Portuguese playing 11, provided the stunning lineup of the Portuguese. However, Roberto Martinez seems to have other plans for the Al-Nassr forward, as he has provided him with a new role in which he seems to reverse his role of a target man.
Ronaldo slammed his critics as he portrayed his selfless side with a pass against Turkey that led to Bruno’s goal. Hopefully, fans are still impressed by their star’s latest avatar and his selfless display of compelling football. Ronaldo would do all to let his display be stunning until he takes Portugal over the line in the Euros.
This year the USA and West Indies are hosting The TATA ICC Men’s T20 World cup which was started from 2nd June 2024 and will end on 29th June 2024. 8 edition of the T20 World cups have been conducted. Last T20 World cup was played in 2022 and the tittle achieved by England by defeating Pakistan in the final match. To increase your cricket knowledge specially shortest form of cricket in very short you must read this short article.
ICC T20 Cricket World is an international tournament by the international Cricket council(ICC) in every two years. In 2007, the first edition of ICC Men’s T20 World cup was organised in South Africa and the first edition of T20 World cup won by India. As we all well known Men’s ICC T20 Cricket World cup 2024 is going on in USA and West Indies. Team India become the first team to reach in semi-final after defeating Australia and will play against England on 27th June 2024. In this article, I am providing the T20 World cup Winner list from 2007 to 2022.
Year Winner
2007 India
2009 Pakistan
2010 England
2012 West Indies
2014 Sri Lanka
2016 West Indies
2021 Australia
2022 England
The ICC T20 World cup takes place after every two years. Above list of winners will increase your sports knowledge.
The Portuguese talisman is relaxing in the sparkle glow that seems to have replaced the usual sharp glare and split opinions at Euro 2024.If the modern sport lover is about being ranged against or totally for Cristiano Ronaldo would have left his legion of fans confused. In the 56th minute of a Group F romp in Euro 2024 against a Turkey side whose resistance had been punctured by then, Ronaldo had the ball at his feet inside the box, goalkeeper Altay Bayinder at his mercy.
Ronaldo,39, with his attacker habit having switched up the “Why still in a Portugal shirt” question in the build-up to the tournament, was a tap-in away from adding another record, the only one that mattered to Cristiano Ronaldo or so it was thought-scoring in a successive, record, sixth European Championship. Instead the Portugal Skipper squared it for Bruno Fernandes to put it away.3-0.The epitaph on world football’s long-running saga had been written even around the 2022 World cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo is feeling the love at Euro 2024, and celebrating in it. There is a clip of children waiting in the tunnel to walk out with the players jumping in delight as Ronaldo arrives and high-fives with them. Two girls tittering as they delight in standing in front of the Ronaldo with the national anthem playing is another clip that has gone viral.
The numbers of violator onto the pitch clicking selfies with Ronaldo after Saturday game was increased so European football government tighten security to shut out random fans and You Tube influencers from a repeat.
India Women Clean Sweep Unsettled South Africa Women in 3-0 series win (image: ESPNCricinfo)
India Women is hosting a home series for South African women. They are hosting them for a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20 series alongside a single test match face-off.
India Women have played the first half of the series, the ODI series. The first of them was played at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, where put on to bat first the women in blue dominated the protea women, and their innings were led from the front by veteran Indian batter, Smriti Mandhana.
Batting alongside Smriti, the two lower-order all-rounders Deepti and Pooja batted well into their 30s, and India posted a total of 265. The Indian bowlers once again outclassed the opposition batters, as the Protea women crashed in 122 runs total.
The second game went on to be a historic game in the history of women’s cricket, as it went on to score the most runs combined by both teams. India Women were once again put to bat first, and they went on to post a gigantic total of 325 runs.
A stunning 136 from the Lady of the moment – Smriti Mandhana (image: Female Cricket)
The Africans started well, as they dominated with the ball, and hence the score never seemed to go over 250. However, the Indian skipper stepped in with the inform Mandhana once again scoring a stunning ton. Mandhana 136 and a quickfire 103 by Harmanpreet took India to a comfortable total.
The Protea captain Laura Wolvaardt stepped in for her side alongside the most experienced Kapp and put on an 184-run partnership, with both the women scoring brilliant tons. Pooja Vastrakar defended 10 runs in the last over, taking India women over the line by 4 runs. A mammoth 646-run landmark was created in the match; this would remain a long-awaited history in women’s cricket.
In the final game at Bengaluru, the Proteas managed a struggling total of 214, when Manndhana again led from the front, this time in the chase with a 90, as she missed her third consecutive century of the series. The Indian skipper played a good hand of 42 to take India home and have a clean sweep over the underconfident South African women who faced one-sided domination in the series.
The Protea’s would look to bounce back in the one-off Test and the T20I having none going in their favor in the ODI series. The Women in Blue, on the contrary, would look to continue their invincible run in the series.
Bravo and Rashid celebrating Afghanistan's debut in ICC knockouts (image: Kalinga TV)
Afghanistan defeated legendary sides New Zealand and Australia en route to the semis of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA.
When it comes to World Cups, undoubtedly some names surface in our heads, and one of them genuinely includes the mighty Australians. But what say if you hear that the mighty Aussies have been ripped off their semi-final spot by a valiant Afghan side? Yes, this is the summary of the last four of the T20 World Cup in 2024.
From the start of the major World Cup in India in 2023, Afghanistan have always fancied their chances for the semi-final spots. They defeated the defending champions England, subcontinent favorites Sri Lanka, and rivals Pakistan in the World Cup before they fancied their chances into the semis with a nearing win against Australia.
Afghanistan’s win over England in World Cup 2023 (image credit: Onmanorama)
Only for Maxwell’s historic innings that they were snubbed off their semi-final spot. However, Rashid, the Afghan skipper for the USA World Cup, was confident enough to see his team enter the knockouts of the World Cup.
After a great win over the Kiwis in the early group stage face-off, Afghanistan fixed their chances into the Super-8. Placed alongside heavyweights India and Australia, the Asian underdogs did not seem to have much chance to go ahead.
However, it was Rashid who kept full faith in his team, and so did the ex-English cricketer Trott. After facing a major setback against the Men in Blue, the Afghans stepped forward in an exclusive encounter against the Kangaroos.
After a major opening partnership, Afghanistan posted a total of nearly 150 before Naveen, Farooqi, and Rashid, alongside other bowlers, once again stepped up and broke the back of the Aussie batting order. Early dismissals of Head, Warner, and skipper Marsh landed Australia in early trouble. They faced more problems with the departure of Marcus Stoinis, until Afghanistan’s nightmare, Glenn Maxwell once again seemed to take the game away from the clutches of the Afghans. However, it was his dismissal that turned the game a 360 degree to create history for Cricket Afghanistan, who defeated the Aussies for the first time in international T20s.
The Aussies, after a thrashing defeat at the hands of the Men in Blue, who seemed hungry for revenge after their disheartening loss in the World Cup final late in 2023, ended their chances in the cup. Afghanistan now seemed to be at the top of their world as they had to get past a feeble Bangladesh side, but was that as easy as it seemed?
No, that would be the answer, and it is evident from the game played today. The Afghans seemed to slip in the batting department as they posted 115 runs total. In a severely rain-affected match, the Bangladeshi wickets seemed to fall like dried leaves, as the Afghan skipper seemed to be in the hunt as he turned the game on with his 4-fer.
A Historic winning moment for Afghanistan 🇦🇫. History has been created what a Game
Litton Kumar Das held his nerve for Bangladesh, and the game seemed to get on our nerves until Naveen struck twice in the 18th over of the game to create history for Afghanistan cricket and give them their first major entry into the last four of an ICC World Cup. This day would remain encrypted in golden words in the history of Afghanistan cricket.
Late Nunez strike doubles the lead for Uruguay (image: The New York Times)
Copa America has completed its first game week, and Uruguay have secured a match point with a commanding win over Panama in the tournament opener.
Considered one of the favorites of the Copa, Uruguay can be expected as one of the sides who might be eyeing the semi-final spot at least. In the match against Panama, the game seemed to be on Uruguay’s side from the very first whistle.
A belting effort from Araujo found the back of the net, giving them the early advantage in the 16th minute of the game. The Toluca winger often sparked attacks for the Uruguayan side, going on to score what can be a great contender for the goal of the tournament.
The Uruguayan midfield kept providing some stunning efforts and played it to the forwards only for Nunez to miss several chances before the Liverpool striker found the back of his nets, and his groove seemed to be back at the end minutes of the game.
Panama too secured a consolation goal as the right-back railed in a clean effort in the 94th minute of injury time, posting a third Uruguayan goal from a headed attempt by Vina in the 91st minute of the game, the Flamengo wing-back who previously made the vital through for the opening goal of the game.
Vina triples the lead with unstoppable header (image: Yahoo Sports)
With their first commanding win, even in the absence of senior pros Suarez and Gimenez and also the shielded presence of Los Blancos midfielder Valverde, Uruguay has declared that they are one of the firm teams to compete in the Copa this year.
Next in Group C, Panama will be facing the fearless USMNT, who are not an easy opposition to seek a first win, and Uruguay will play against the Bolivian side, and this game might be their dig at the quarterfinal chances.
Christian Pulisic scores the first for USMNT against Bolivia (image: Arab News)
The Copa America 2024 has been kicked off, and the USMNT have also stunned all with their commanding victory over Bolivia.
The United States Men’s National Team did not make their spectators wait to see them shoot to form. USMNT’s legendary player, Christian Pulisic, scored from the very first attack of the game. The hosts pierced through the Bolivian defense as the Markin soccer superstar drilled in Timothy Weah’s forward pass.
Before this match, the great faced utter criticism from around the world. Pulisic, who is already the greatest among American footballers at 25, has now been the sole standing commanding name in the sport for the past 8 years.
Pulisic started very firmly for Dortmund in the Bundesliga until his career came to a standstill as he featured for Chelsea in the English Premier League. The club might not have had great success buying the US superstar, but what cost more was Pulisic’s failure to impress anyone at the PL. His retarding form was also caused by the lack of form and coordination among other players of the team.
However, with a falling career and a burden of failed expectations on his shoulders, he made a move to Serie A club AC Milan. At Milan, Pulisic started to restore his deprived honor, and he has set his high standards once again.
Pulisic scored for the USMNT in the opening minutes and declared his stunning presence; he was everywhere in the field until he doubled the lead with a through ball to Folarin Balogun, who found the back of the net.
The USMNT dominated as a unit alongside Pulisic’s domination and secured a 2-0 win. Now, they will be looking to secure a spot in the Quarter finals with a win over Panama. This can be the most thrashing answer to his criticizers, for Pulisic and USMNT.
