Preparations for the second season of Zim Afro T10 are well and truly on. The franchises have got their squads in place and the Harare Sports Club is all set for the tournament which begins on September 21 and will finish with the grand finale on 29 September.

Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 will see the teams battle it out over the course of 9 days for the top prize. Each day will comprise three games, with the first scheduled for 3pm local time and 630pm IST. The second game of the day will be at 515pm local time and 845pm IST, while the third game of the day will see the players take the field at 730pm local time and 11pm IST.

A glittering opening ceremony is also scheduled for the opening day, and that is set to commence from 1pm local time. On September 29, after the final, which is scheduled to begin at 530pm local time, there will be a grand closing ceremony to round off the tournament.

The opening game of the tournament will see the Durban Wolves take on the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, after which, Cape Town Samp Army and the Harare Bolts will take centre stage. The final game for the day will pit the two remaining franchises, Bulawayo Brave Jaguars and the NYS Lagos.

The second match-day will see the Durban Wolves take on the Harare Bolts in the first game, after which NYS Lagos and Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers will play the second game. The final game of the day will pit the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars against Cape Town Samp Army.
Day 3 will kick off with Harare Bolts playing Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, followed by the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking on Durban Wolves. The final game of the day will see Cape Town Samp Army play NYS Lagos.

NYS Lagos and Durban Wolves will commence the fourth day’s activities, with Harare Bolts and Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking over the baton after that, and finally handing it over to Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers and Cape Town Samp Army for the final game of the day on the fourth day.

The Harare Bolts and the NYS Lagos will commence Day 5, before Durban Wolves and Cape Town Samp Army play the second game of the day. The final game of the day will see Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers play the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars.

The penultimate day of the league stage will kick off with Durban Wolves playing the Harare Bolts first, and then Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers take on Bulawayo Brave Jaguars, before Cape Town Samp Army and NYS Lagos play the third game of the day.

The final day of the league phase will see Bulawayo Brave Jaguars play Cape Town Samp Army first, and then NYS Lagos takes on Durban Wolves. The final league stage game will be between Harare Bolts and the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers.

A total of 21 games will be played in the league stage for the Zim Afro T10, and after that the knockout phase will commence. The top 2 teams will square off in Qualifier 1, with the winner going through to the final. The third and fourth placed teams will then play the Eliminator, where the winner goes through to Qualifier 2, to face the runner-up of Qualifier 1. The team that wins Qualifier 2 will eventually play the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final.

Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman, said, “Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 is definitely going to be bigger and better. The players and teams are all preparing very hard for the tournament, and it promises to be nothing less than a celebration of the sport. Each day has the potential for some great contests, and we hope the fans will also enjoy watching their favourite players go head-to-head.”

The UAE will host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the first global women’s cricket event to be held in the region.

Organised in partnership with Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) and Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the 18-day event will take place in the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah from 3rd to 20th October 2024.

Details of the tournament was announced during a press conference held today at the Dubai Sports Council in the presence of ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice, ECB Board Member Zaid Abbas and Khaled Al Awar, Director of Communications and Marketing at Dubai Sports Council.

“One of the exciting things about the UAE is its diversity. It’s a place where the entire world is represented! This means that this is effectively a home World Cup for all 10 teams and players can enjoy the support of passionate fans. With that in mind, I’m delighted to announce today that tickets will be available from just AED5 and under 18s will go free,” Allardice said.

“The Emirates Cricket Board is delighted to stage the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. The Emirates Cricket Board has rich experience and the proven pedigree of hosting top-class cricket, and we are once again ready to deliver another world-class event,” Abbas said.

10 teams from different continents of the world are competing in 23 matches in the tournament: Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, England, South Africa, India, Pakistan, the West Indies, and Bangladesh.

“The tournament will see the best women cricketers from around the world compete for the biggest prize in the T20 format. We are set to witness thrilling contests and brilliant individual and team performances in Dubai and Sharjah during the course of the event.

“The ECB would work closely with all stakeholders including the International Cricket Council and the Bangladesh Cricket Board to ensure that the participants and fans have a memorable time during their stay in the country.”

The 10-team tournament will see a champion team emerge after 23 matches spread across the 18 days.

The 20 league matches will be split between Dubai and Sharjah with the semifinals slated for 17th October in Dubai and 18th October in Sharjah. The final will be played in Dubai.

Group A includes six-time champions Australia, along with India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, and Scotland.

Arjun Erigaisi, the 21-year-old chess prodigy from Warangal, has been creating waves this year with a career-best ranking. He ascended to World No.4 in the FIDE world ratings in June this year after beating France’s Loic Travadon in the French Team Chess Championship 2024.

With the Chess Olympiad starting in Budapest this month and the much-awaited Tech Mahindra Global Chess League starting in London on 3rd October, Arjun exuded confidence and excitement as he prepares for a busy chess season.

“Starting with the Olympiad, I have a long trip coming up, so I am not preparing specifically for any of these events, but I am going about the general preparation that I usually do,”  expressed a modest Arjun, who will turn up as the Superstar men player for Ganges Grandmasters in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 2. The franchise owned by Insurekot Sports will feature legendary Vishwanathan Anand as Icon player, Arjun and Parham Maghsoodloo as Superstar men players, Vaishali R and  Nurgyul Salimova as Superstar women players, while Volodar Murzin is part of the team as the Prodigy player.

“Last year, I was on the same team as Magnus Carlsen, and now I am on the same team as Vishy Anand, sir. I remember following the 2013 World Championship Match as a fan, and after 10-11 years, I got the chance to be in the same teams as them. It’s a big delight,” said Arjun. Speaking about his experience from the inaugural season of the Global Chess League held in Dubai, Arjun said, “Season one was a thriller for me. I am very excited and motivated for the second season and hope to perform well this time.”

He further drew parallels with the Indian Premier League and how it helped take franchise-based cricket to a global audience and changed the sport’s landscape. “It’s definitely a great thing that we now have Global Chess League in the chess circuit. I really hope it makes a big impact in the chess world like IPL did to cricket.”

“There are a limited number of team chess tournaments, but I love it whenever I get a chance to participate in a team event. This is a bit different from other team events like the Olympiad or World Teams because you wouldn’t know most of your teammates in person, so it presents a unique opportunity to bond with new minds,” he added.

With the Global Chess League being held in London this time, there is a lot of excitement among the chess fraternity. Arjun’s prospects of playing in London are all the more exciting as he has never been to Britain’s capital. “It will be my first visit to London. Hopefully, I will find the time to visit the London Eye, and on the board, I look forward to getting some nice wins. As a team, the goal is to win it all, and my aim is to be at my absolute best during the event,” he signed off.