Week In Review, March 18-24: AFG Hold IND 0-0; Sreeja Akula Wins WTT Feeder Title

While a lot happened around the world in various disciplines, things didn't go entirely to plan for the Indian sports faithful, with the national men's football team being held to a 0-0 draw by Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Let us recap all that went down across arenas from March 18 to 24, 2024.

Cricket

A day before the start of IPL 2024, CSK sprung a major surprise by announcing that Mahendra Singh Dhoni had handed over the captaincy to 27-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad. The move didn't change much by way of RCB's fortunes, as the hosts sped to an easy six-wicket win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The following day, Rishabh Pant made his much-awaited comeback to professional cricket, though with a defeat. Punjab Kings chased down Delhi Capitals' target of 175 runs with four wickets and four balls to spare at the new open-air venue in Mullanpur.

Later that evening, Kolkata Knight Riders edged out Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs in a thriller. Andre Russell clobbered an unbeaten 25-ball 63 and Harshit Rana scalped three wickets, in addition to defending 13 runs in the final over, as SRH's pursuit of 209 fell just short. Sunday saw Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans kicking off their respective campaigns on a winning note. The teams are now set for the second iteration of matches.

Meanwhile, the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ended on a one-sided note in Sylhet. Sri Lanka piled on the agony for the hosts, putting up a virtually impregnable 511-run target in front of them. The Bangla Tigers could only muster 182, as Kasun Rajitha ran through the batting order with five crucial wickets. The second and final Test will begin on Saturday (March 30) in Chattogram.

In Karachi, Islamabad United pipped Multan Sultans in an epic Pakistan Super League 2024 final. Chasing a target of 160 runs, Shadab Khan's team sneaked home off the last ball of the innings, with just two wickets in hand. Imad Wasim did the star turn with a five-wicket haul and an unbeaten 19 as Islamabad clinched their third PSL title.

Football

A lot was expected of the Indian football team as they set off for Abha, Saudi Arabia to take on Afghanistan in the away leg of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers tie. But Sunil Chhetri and Co disappointed with a goalless draw. Manvir Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh and Subhasish Bose all had chances to score but could not convert, as Igor Stimac's side lacked clinicality in the final third.

The Blue Tigers have returned home and are now gearing up to play hosts in Guwahati. The decisive leg of the qualifying match will be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Tuesday evening (7pm IST).

In La Liga, Barcelona blanked Atletico Madrid 3-0 courtesy goals from Joao Felix, Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez. The rout was Barcelona's fifth consecutive win over Atletico, and with it, the former moved to second place in the league.

Other Sports

Rising Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula claimed the women's singles title, while Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah took home the men's doubles title at the WTT Feeder Beirut II in Lebanon. Sreeja, ranked 47 in the world, came from behind to pull off a 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 win over the lower-ranked Sarah D Nutte of Luxembourg. It is the 25-year-old's second WTT singles career title. She had clinched the Feeder Corpus Christi title in January this year.

In Basel, Switzerland, the Indian badminton contingent's campaign ended on a tepid note at the Swiss Open, with Srikanth Kidambi the only one to threaten to gun for the title, before he went down fighting in the men's singles semi-finals against Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi. The caravan now rolls on to Madrid Spain Masters, starting Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (5), 6-1 to win his second successive Indian Wells Open title. Both the players are now in action at Miami Open, where they have won their first couple of rounds without much difficulty.

Finally, in Formula One, Max Verstappen endured his first race retirement since 2022 at the Australian Grand Prix. A fiery mechanical failure forced the champion Red Bull Racing driver out and Carlos Sainz took advantage of that to take the top of the podium. Charles Leclerc came in second to give Ferrari a one-two finish.