The Afghanistan cricket team might take a roundabout route to reach Sri Lanka for their three-match ODI series against Pakistan, scheduled to begin in Colombo on September 3.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- the top-five ranked teams in the ICC T20I rankings are the top seeds and have been granted direct entry into the quarter-finals.
Jamie Smith will return from injury to keep wickets and bat at number three in England's Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore on Saturday.
Chhetri also added that India will rely more on teamwork than individual flair to give a tough fight to their rivals.
Having been a pillar of support for Afghanistan cricket for close to a decade now, the BCCI is set to extend infrastructure and exposure-related assistance to Nepal's talented players with the aim to maintain a robust cricketing eco-system in the South Asian region.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 44 km (27 miles) from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan and was at a depth of 51 km.
India captain Rohit Sharma moved up two places to third in the latest ICC ODI batter rankings following his stellar performance in the Champions Trophy final, while teammate Shubman Gill held on to the top spot.
Bari said he is delighted to see the ICC Champions Trophy being held in Pakistan now and multiple teams landing in the country.
Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honour of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.
The current WTC system awards the same number of points -- 12 for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw -- which has given rise to discontent that India, England and Australia -- the Big Three in cricket -- "are disadvantaged as they play more games against each other".
Both teams shared a point each as rain refused to relent, forcing the umpires to call off the match.
England's performances have dipped since 2022, however, with the side failing to defend their T20 and 50-overs World Cup titles.
Former India player and coach Lalchand Rajput says this Indian team has a clear instinct that will just finish off opponents
England will be wary of any complacency against Afghanistan, especially as the tournament has already seen major upsets with former champions Sri Lanka and twice winners West Indies suffering shock defeats.
Was it complacency or a case of easing off after securing qualification?
India despatches high level team to Afghanistan on kidnapping
Afghanistan will play T20 World Cup, says media manager.
Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday it has postponed the Afghanistan Test in Hobart scheduled for November 27 until the situation regarding the women's game in the South Asian nation becomes clearer.
Struggling CSK look to turn around fortunes against PBKS
Who do you feel should be part of India's playing XI for Wednesday's T20 World Cup game against Afghanistan?
There were reports that the ICC could forbid Afghanistan from participating in the showpiece event if the team decides to play under the Taliban flag amid the ongoing turmoil in the country.
"The ICC (International Cricket Council) Champions Trophy 2025 is a culmination of those efforts," PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told Reuters.
Chennai Super Kings batsman Rachin Ravindra attributed their comprehensive victory over Mumbai Indians to the team's spinners, particularly the leadership of Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra highlighted the depth and balance provided by the spin attack, which ensured they could handle any off-days from individual bowlers.
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
Saleem, 20, has yet to represent the national team in any format while Rasooli has shown strong form in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan's domestic T20 tournament, after recovering from a finger injury.
The Taliban dispensation in Afghanistan has said that India will resume work in at least 20 stalled projects in several provinces across the war-torn country.
This is the first-ever Test between New Zealand against Afghanistan who got their Test status in 2017.
Rashid was out of action for four months after undergoing a back surgery following the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. He was part of the more recent T20 Word Cup in the USA and Caribbean where he captained Afghanistan to the semifinals.
Wicket-keeper/batter Jitesh Sharma attributed his his recent success in the shortest format to the efforts put in by Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik, who believes that Jitesh can be a true '360' degree player.
Punjab Kings set a new IPL record for the lowest total ever successfully defended -- 111.
'The ACB has launched the recruitment process for hiring a new head coach and is looking forward to having the services of another reasonable option to replace Lance Klusener as the head coach of Afghanistan for the upcoming events.'
Australia captain Aaron Finch says he is more likely than not to play in Friday's crunch Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 match against Afghanistan, despite suffering a hamstring strain on Tuesday.
People familiar with the development said on Friday that the Chinese envoy held wide-ranging talks with the external affairs ministry's point person for Afghanistan J P Singh.
Hashmatullah Shahidi was appointed as new Test and ODI captain
'You've got to be quite smart against him. If he gets on a roll, he's pretty tough to stop. As we've seen, he has bowled extremely well'
The ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan has seen a decline in attendance following the early exit of the Pakistani cricket team and the start of Ramadan.
Members of the trophy-winning squad from 2017 were present at the event with then captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in conversation with former West Indies pacer and broadcaster Ian Bishop.
South African captain Temba Bavuma has said that the ICC Champions Trophy is a bigger challenge than the 50-over World Cup because the lesser number of matches makes it tough for teams to make a comeback.
Following the match, Australian batsman Usman Khawaja took to social media to congratulate Afghanistan on their well-deserved win.
