Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi create history with their unbeaten partnership and become the first pair to remain unbeaten throughout an entire day of play in a Test since 2018. This is also the highest stand for any wicket against Zimbabwe, breaking the record set in 2004. Additionally, it is the third instance of three Zimbabwe batters scoring a century in a Test innings. Afghanistan's Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi made history on day 3 of the first Test against Zimbabwe with an unbeaten partnership and a record-breaking performance. Their stand of 361* runs is not only the highest for Afghanistan in Tests, but also the second-highest against Zimbabwe. The day also saw three Zimbabwe batsmen scoring centuries, making it the third instance in their history.
The Bangladesh skipper, Najmullah Hossain Shanto, played a crucial role in his team's victory against Afghanistan in the first ODI of their series. His score of 76 helped set a target of 253 runs for the Afghan team to chase. But they fell short, with only Rahmat Shah scoring a significant contribution of 52 runs. Bangladesh's bowlers put on an impressive performance, with Nasum Ahmed taking 3 wickets and Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking 2 each, leading to a 68-run win for Bangladesh.
The Sri Lankan cricket team has secured a clean sweep against Afghanistan in their 3-match ODI series, winning the third match by a staggering 155 runs. Led by a strong batting performance from Charith Asalanka and captain Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka set a target of 308 for Afghanistan to chase. Despite a valiant effort from Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan fell short and are now looking to gain momentum in the upcoming T20 series. The match was also notable for Pathum Nissanka's record-breaking 210 not out, making him the highest individual scorer in Sri Lanka's ODI history.
Pakistan's Prime Minister has claimed that terrorist groups in Afghanistan have picked up US weapons and other military equipment that were left behind following the withdrawal of American troops. The Afghan embassy in Beijing has also begun distributing passports, while Iran's energy minister is urging the IEA to release its share of water from the Helmand River. In the meantime, a UN envoy and Afghan official have discussed an upcoming meeting in Doha on Afghanistan, as Pakistan extends the stay of over 1 million Afghan refugees. On the other side, the US and Britain are launching strikes against Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq and Syria, while the Houthis in Yemen have threatened further attacks on American and British warships.
In a dominant display of skill, Sri Lanka's opening batters chased down an easy target of 56 runs to secure a 10-wicket victory over Afghanistan in a one-off Test match in Colombo. With Afghanistan bowled out for 296 in its second innings, Sri Lanka wasted no time in securing the win, with Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka sealing the deal within just 7.2 overs.
Sri Lanka's new Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva believes that the team needs to show more on-field aggression in order to improve its performance in the longest format of the game. Ahead of the one-off Test match against Afghanistan, de Silva highlights the need for a change in approach and mindset to re-establish Sri Lanka's Test prowess. With the national team currently at the bottom of the World Test Championship rankings, de Silva hopes to lead the team to a better result against Afghanistan.