National T20 Cup Archives

PCB Chairman intervenes over reduced match fees for domestic cricketers

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has taken notice of the decision to slash match fees for domestic cricketers participating in the upcoming National T20 Cup 2025.

A PCB spokesperson confirmed that Naqvi has directed officials to ensure that players’ earnings remain unaffected. He instructed the Director of Domestic Cricket, Abdullah Khurram Niazi, to take immediate action to prevent any reduction in payments.

Mohsin Naqvi has also ordered a comprehensive review of match fees for all players in the National T20 Cup, reinforcing his stance that no cuts should be made.

It’s worth noting that the National T20 Cup 2025 is set to take place from March 15 to March 27, featuring 18 teams representing 16 regions. A total of 39 matches will be played across three host cities: Faisalabad, Lahore, and Multan.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The 18 teams are divided into four groups: Karachi Region (Blues), Lahore Region (Whites), Larkana Region, Peshawar Region, and Quetta Region, all placed in Group A.

In Group B, defending champions Karachi Region (Whites) are placed alongside Bahawalpur Region, Dera Murad Jamali Region, Islamabad Region and Lahore Region (Blues).

In Group C, Abbottabad Region, Faisalabad Region, Hyderabad Region, and Rawalpindi Region will go head-to-head, while Group D will see AJK Region, FATA Region, Multan Region, and Sialkot Region play each other.

The tournament will kick off with a double-header in Faisalabad, where Karachi Region (Whites) will take on Islamabad Region at 7 PM, followed by the second match at 11 PM.

In Lahore and Multan, the first fixture of the day is scheduled for 4:30 PM, while the second match will begin at 9 PM.

READ: Haider Ali breaks silence on his exclusion from New Zealand tour

Schedule, squads unveiled for 18-team National T20 Cup 2025

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed the schedule for the 18-team National T20 Cup 2025, set to commence on 14 March across three cities.

The domestic cricket tournament will feature 18 teams from 16 regions and will take place in three host cities: Faisalabad, Lahore, and Multan. A total of 39 matches will be played throughout the tournament.

The Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad is set to host 23 matches, including the tournament’s knockout rounds. In Lahore, matches will occur at both the Gaddafi Stadium and the LCCA Ground, while the Multan Cricket Stadium will accommodate eight games.

The board has announced a prize pot of PKR 9.4 million for National T20 Cup. The winning team will get five million while the runners-up will take PKR 2.5 million.

The 18 teams are divided into four groups: Karachi Region (Blues), Lahore Region (Whites), Larkana Region, Peshawar Region, and Quetta Region, all placed in Group A.

In Group B, defending champions Karachi Region (Whites) are placed alongside Bahawalpur Region, Dera Murad Jamali Region, Islamabad Region and Lahore Region (Blues).

In Group C, Abbottabad Region, Faisalabad Region, Hyderabad Region and Rawalpindi Region will go head-to-head, while Group D will see AJK Region, FATA Region, Multan Region and Sialkot Region play each other.

The two top teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, which will be played at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on 23 and 24 March.

The semi-finals of National T20 Cup will be staged on Wednesday, 26 March, followed by the final on 27 March, all at the same venue.

The double-header matches in Faisalabad, including the opening match between Karachi Whites and Islamabad Region, will begin at 7 p.m., while the second match on the same day will be played at 11 p.m.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In Lahore and Multan, the action in the first match will get underway at 4.30 p.m., while the second match will begin at 9 p.m.

Squads for National T20 Cup

Abbottabad Region: Adil Naz, Afaq Ahmad, Ahmad Khan, Aitzaz Habib Khan, Aqib Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Fayyaz Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khalid Usman, Khayam Khan, Mohammad Arif, Sajjad Ali Hashmi, Shahab Khan, Shahzaib Khan and Yasir Shah

Reserve players:

Anees Azam, Israr Hussain, Mehroz Rasheed, Mohammad Adil and Riazullah

AJK Region: Aqib Liaqat, Awais Akram, Basit Ali, Faizan Saleem, Hassan Raza (Captain), Hussnain Nadeem, Mohammad Haider, Nadeem Khalil, Naveed Malik, Qazi Arbaqan, Rohan Qadri, Saad Asif, Salman Irshad, Usman Maroof and Zaman Khan

Reserve players:

Ibrar Ahmed, Moin pervaiz, Najam Naseer Kayani, Raja Farhan and Usman Yousaf

Bahawalpur Region: Muhammad Imran Randhawa (Captain), Ali Shabbir, Aun Shehzad, Hasnain Majid, Imran Khan Snr, Mehran Sanwal, Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Ammar, Mohammad Azab, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Faizan Zafar, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Shaharyar, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Sudais and Salahuddin

Reserve players:

Ali Umar, Gulfam Aziz, Khaqan Bashir, Muhammad Alamgir and Shayan Khalil

Dera Murad Jamali: Abubakar, Basit Ali, Dawood Khan, Fahad Hussain, Farhad Khan, Majid Ali, Mohammad Deen, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Uzair, Nasir Khan, Rasool Bakhsh, Shoaib Ahmed, Tariq Jameel, Yasir Hussain and Zahoor Ahmed

Faisalabad Region: Asif Ali (Captain), Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ali Asfand, Ali Raza, Ali Shan, Ibtisam-ur-Rehman, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Awais Zafar, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Kashif, Mohammad Zeeshan, Momin Qamar, Raees Ahmed, Shehzad Gul and Taimur Sultan

Reserve players:

Asad Raza, Asim Ali Nasir, Arham Nawab, Atiq-ur-Rehman and Hammad Hamza

Fata Region: Asif Afridi (Captain), Afaq Ahmed, Azaz Khan, Ifranullah Shah, Khubaib Khalil, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Mohammad Usman, Rehan Afridi, Salman Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr and Shahid Aziz

Reserve players:

Aimal Khan, Fazal-ur-Rehman, Khayal Man, Nisar Afridi and Sohaib Khan

Hyderabad Region: Akbar Khan, Fawad Ahmed, Jawad Ali Bhatti, Kashif Bhatti, Majid Asghar, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Waqar, Muhammad Azeem Ghumman, Mustafa Nasir, Noman Ali, Rizwan Mehmood, Saad Khan, Sharjeel Khan and Ubaidullah Khan

Reserve players:

Asad Malik, Fardeen, Haris Khan, Mohammad Huzaifa and Sheharyar Baloch

Islamabad Region: Ali Imran, Arsal Sheikh, Farmanullah Khan, Hammad Saddique, Kaleem Dil, Mohammad Umair Riaz, Musa Khan, Naseerullah Khan, Nusratullah, Raja Hamza Waheed, Rohail Nazir, Sarmad Bhatti, Shamyl Hussain, Shayan Sheikh and Umair Afridi

Reserve players:

Faizan Riaz, Mohammad Hammad Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Murtaza Jamal and Rizwan Ali

Karachi Region Blues: Abdullah Fazal, Aftab Ibrahim, Arish Ali Khan, Bahadur Ali, Fahad Amin, Huzaifa Munir, Jahanzaib Sultan, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hamza Sohail, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Rameez Aziz, Saifullah Bangash, Wahaj Riaz and Waleed Azeem

Reserve players:

Adeel Meo, Aftab Khan, Arbaz Khan, Naveed Ahmed Khan and Sahil Iqbal

Karachi Region Whites: Afnan Khan, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Haroon Arshad, Khurram Manzoor, Khwaja Mohammad Nafay, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Umar, Saad Baig, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Sohail Khan

Reserve players:

Abdul Moiz, Ashiq Ali, Maaz Khurram Amin, Mohammad Tariq Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed

Lahore Region Blues: Farhan Yousaf, Hammad Butt, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Imran Butt, Junaid Ali, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Zahid, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Salman Mirza, Samama Riaz and Umar Siddiq

Reserve players:

Asfand Mehran, Hafiz Usman Nadeem, Hamid Liaqat, Intasar Ali and Khawaja Mohammad Abdullah

Lahore Region Whites: Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Daniyal, Attayb Ahmed, Hassan Rizwan, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Azeem, Mohammad Faiq, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez. Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Salman, Muhammad Akhlaq, Saad Nasim, Tayyab Tahir, Ubaid Shah and Zain Bin Farooq

Reserve Players:

Danish Butt, Imran Dogar, Mohammad Ahsan, Mohammad Waheed and Wasiullah

Larkana Region: Amir Ali Babar, Amir Ali Brohi, Aqeel Danish, Bilal Irshad, Ghulam Raza Mahar, Imtiaz Laghari, Mohsin Raza, Muhshtaq Ahmed, Sabit Ali, Sarfraz Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzaib Ali, Shahzaib Aziz, Umar Khalid and Zahid Mehmood

Reserve players:

Asif Ali Chandio, Faraz Aziz, Hamesh Kumar, Mohammad Umar and Najaf Ali

Multan Region: Aamer Yamin, Ali Majid, Arfat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Humayun Altaf, Imam-ul-Haq, M Ismail Watto, Muhammad Shahzad, Sharoon Siraj, Tahir Hussain, Uzair Mumtaz, Waqar Hussain, Waseem Akram Jnr, Zain Abbas and Zeeshan Ashraf

Reserve players:

Ali Haider, Ali Usman, Huzaifa Ayub, Mohammad Sadaqat and Rao Irfan

Peshawar Region: Iftikhar Ahmed (Captain), Abubakkar, Adil Amin, Israrullah, Maaz Sadaqat, Moazzam Umar, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Zulkifal, Muhammad Amir Barki, Niaz Khan, Nizar Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Tariq and Waqar Ahmed

Reserve players:

Ahmed Khan, Gohar Ali, Hilal Khan, Mohsin Khan and Nabi Gul

Quetta Region: Abdul Hameed, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Bismillah khan, Bohar Aman, Ehsanullah, Haseebullah, Latifullah, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Idrees, Mohammad Junaid, Najeebullah, Sajid Khan, Shamraiz Khan, Usman Khan Shinwari and Yasir Khan

Reserve players:

Ikramullah, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Javed, Nizamuddin and Sohail Majeed

Rawalpindi Region: Aqib Shah, Atif Khan, Kashif Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Nabeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Raza-ul-Mustafa, Mubasir Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Saad Masood, Taimur Khan, Yasir Khan and Zeeshan Malik

Reserve players:

Abdul Faseeh, Ali Hasnain, Amir Hassan, Usman Khan and Ziad Khan

Sialkot Region: Abdullah Shafique, Afzaal Manzoor, Ahmed Hassan, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Amad Butt, Ashir Mehmood, Bilawal Bhatti, Hasan Ali, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Huraira, Mohsin Riaz, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr, Shoaib Malik and Usama Mir

Reserve players:

Ali Shafique, Awais Ali, Ayaz Tasawar, Azan Awais and Shahzaib Bhatti

Read: New Zealand unveil squad for home T20I series against Pakistan

Asad Shafiq announces retirement from all forms of cricket

KARACHI: Right-handed middle-order batter Asad Shafiq announced his retirement from all forms of cricket yesterday after he led Karachi Whites to their maiden National T20 Cup title.

The Karachi Whites skipper was given a guard of honour by his teammates after defeating Abbottabad in the final of the National T20 Cup.

Asad Shafiq announced his decision during the press conference after the National T20 Cup final citing the ‘lack of passion’ as a major factor.

“I am not feeling the same excitement and passion playing cricket and neither do I have the same fitness levels required for international cricket. Which is why I have decided to say goodbye to all cricket,” said Asad Shafiq.

However, he confirmed that he will feature in three games for SNGPL in the upcoming Patrons Trophy.

Upon being asked about joining Wahab Riaz’s selection committee as a consultant, he affirmed that the board had contacted him.

“I have got the contract from the board and I am looking at it and hopefully it will be processed soon,’ he added.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Shafiq also shed light on the fact that he made the decision to hang up his boots before the ongoing domestic season.

“After being dropped in 2020 I kept on playing domestic cricket for three years in the hope of getting another crack at the Pakistan team,” said the right-hander.

“But before the start of this season, I had decided this would be my last season because I felt that closing in on 38 years of age this was time to retire instead of people telling me to step down.”

Asad Shafiq has represented Pakistan in 77 Test matches from 2010 to 2020 and amassed 4660 runs at an average of 38.19, scoring 12 centuries and 27 half-centuries.

He also played 60 ODIs and 10 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring over 1500 runs.

Meanwhile, he scored over 12,000 runs in 191 First-Class matches, 5,784 runs in 162 List A matches and 2702 runs in 128 T20 games.

READ: Manzoor, Dahani guides Karachi Whites to their maiden National T20 Cup title

Manzoor, Dahani guides Karachi Whites to their maiden National T20 Cup title

KARACHI: Khurram Manzoor’s half-century followed by Shahnawaz Dahani’s brilliant 3-16 helped Karachi Whites defeat Abbottabad by nine runs in the National T20 Cup final at National Bank Stadium to clinch their first-ever title win.

The last time Karachi Whites reached the National T20 Cup final was back in the 2016-17 season when they lost to Karachi Blues at Multan Cricket Stadium.

Yasir Shah won the toss for Abbottabad and invited Karachi Whites to bat first.

Right-arm seamer Adil Naz struck early to dismiss Ammad Alam for just five runs in the third over.

A 71-run partnership between Khurram Manzoor and Omair Bin Yousuf brought stability to the innings.

Left-arm quick Shahab Khan then broke the partnership by dismissing Khurram, who scored a valuable half-century (53, 46b, 9x4s, 1×6).

Omair (36, 30b, 9x4s, 1×6) later fell to left-arm pacer Fayyaz Khan.

Danish Aziz chipped in with 22 from 12, including two fours and a six before the left-hander was removed by Shahab.

Danish’s dismissal saw Shahab complete four wickets in the match, following his five-wicket haul in the semi-final.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

His fellow quicks, Adil and Fayyaz, ended with two scalps each.

Karachi Whites finished with 155-9 in the stipulated 20 overs.

Right-arm pacer Shahnawaz Dahani got rid of Sajjad Ali Jnr in his first over as Abbottabad set out to chase 156.

The Yasir Shah-led side thus struggled to settle on the crease from the start as the opposition bowlers kept mounting pressure by delivering the ball on the right lengths.

Successive wickets fell, bringing Abbottabad to 57-3 at the halfway mark.

Atizaz Habib Khan, who came to the crease after the fifth wicket fell, played a fighting knock to keep his team alive in the game.

He hit an unbeaten 43 from 26, including six fours and a maximum.

Shahnawaz took back-to-back wickets in the 18th over to further push Abbottabad into a corner, countering the batting onslaught unleashed by Atizaz from the other end.

For his economic spell, he was adjudged player of the match as well.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Atizaz was supported by Fayyaz (23, 9b, 3x6s), who smashed three sixes after coming to bat in the 18th over to bring his team close to the target.

However, he was caught in the last over and his team fell 10 runs short of the target, ending at 146-9 in 20 overs.

Shahab Khan ended up as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker as he picked 25 wickets in 10 games at 11.64, including two five-fers and as many four-fers and was named best bowler of the tournament.

The best batter of the tournament award was given to Peshawar’s Sahibzada Farhan for 492 runs in 12 games, including a century and four half-centuries.

Abbottabad’s Sajjad Ali Jnr, with 442 runs and 10 dismissals in 12 matches, was the most successful wicketkeeper in the tournament.

For his all-round performance in the tournament, Iftikhar Ahmed was declared player of the tournament.

In 12 games, he had 395 runs at a strike rate of 163.90, including four half-centuries, and 18 wickets at 15.05.

Karachi Whites came into the National T20 Cup having won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and finished second in the Pakistan Cup.

They defeated Faisalabad in the final of the premier first-class competition at Gaddafi Stadium and lost the Pakistan Cup final to Peshawar at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

READ: Salah’s 200th Liverpool goal inspires fightback to beat Crystal Palace

Fakhar Zaman, Shahab Khan lead Abbottabad to National T20 Cup final

KARACHI: Shahab Khan picked up a five-wicket haul, followed by Fakhar Zaman’s quick-fire 79 to help Abbottabad thump Peshawar by seven wickets in the first semi-final and secure a berth in the final of the National T20 Cup.

Peshawar’s 10-match winning streak finally came to an end as they faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Yasir Shah-led Abbottabad with 13 balls to spare.

Abbottabad’s chase was built around immaculate striking by openers Fakhar Zaman and Sajjad Ali Jnr, both of whom hit a combined 12 sixes.

The first-wicket stand yielded 113 runs in quick time, putting the pressure on the Peshawar bowlers.

Sajjad smashed his third fifty on the trot, taking a special liking to Peshawar captain Iftikhar Ahmed’s bowling as he deposited him for four maximums in one over.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Mohammad Imran ended his stay at the crease after he accumulated 57 in 29 balls with seven sixes and a solitary four.

The next batter in, Kamran Ghulam, was dismissed cheaply for four but Fakhar continued to unleash lusty blows to motor the chase.

The star batter finished with an unbeaten 79 off 46 deliveries, studded with five maximums and eight boundaries.

Abbottabad’s winning runs also came off a six that Afaq Ahmed struck Abbas Ali over long-off, emblematic of the team’s dominance today.

Imran was the only Peshawar bowler who threatened the opposition as he gave away 18 runs in his four overs including one wicket.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Earlier in the day, Abbottabad’s decision to bowl first reaped rewards as the leading run-getter of the tournament Sahibzada Farhan (15, 10b, 3x4s) was removed early by Aqib Khan.

Left-arm pacer Shahab Khan then got the big wickets of Mohammad Haris (16, 21b, 1×4, 1×6) and Iftikhar Ahmed (0, 2b) in his first over to leave Peshawar four down for 75.

Israrullah then launched a brilliant counterattack, smoking 10 fours and three sixes in his 34-ball 73 at a strike rate of over 210.

However, Israrullah found little support at the other end as no other batter crossed the 20-run mark.

Shahab ran through the Peshawar line-up, bagging five scalps – his second five-fer of the competition. He was duly named player of the match.

READ: Pakistan draw with Belgium to qualify for Junior World Cup quarter-final

Sahibzada Farhan powers Peshawar to tenth consecutive victory in National T20 Cup

KARACHI: Sahibzada Farhan’s quick 74-run knock guided Peshawar to a six-wicket victory over FATA on the last day of the Super Eight stage of the National T20 Cup 2023-24 at National Bank Stadium.

This was Peshawar’s tenth consecutive victory in the National T20 Cup after facing a defeat in their first game of the tournament.

Earlier, Peshawar’s decision to field first looked to backfire as FATA plundered 180 runs losing only three wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Opening batter Samiullah Jnr (10, 11b, 1×4) was removed early on by Mohammad Imran but then the other opener Rehan Afridi launched a counterattack.

31-year-old Rehan smashed an unbeaten 90 from 56 balls consisting of eight boundaries and four sixes.

Salman Khan Jnr (21 not out, 13b, 1×4, 1×6) also contributed at the end of the innings to take FATA to 180-3.

Peshawar’s chase was highlighted by Sahibzada Farhan’s (74, 40b, 7x4s, 5x6s) belligerent batting right from the start.

After Sahibzada was dismissed in the 13th over, Iftikhar Ahmed (45, 29b, 2x4s, 3x6s) took charge of the innings and remained unbeaten to seal the triumph in the last over.

Only Khushdil Shah managed two wickets while the other bowlers remained wicketless.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Earlier in the day, in another National T20 Cup match Lahore Whites successfully defended their total of 189-2 as Sialkot were bundled out for 159 in 18.2 overs at UBL Sports Complex.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Lahore Whites batters came out all guns blazing.

Opening batter Mohammad Faiq (110 not out, 60b, 16x4s, 2x6s), playing just the second T20 game of his career, smashed his maiden century.

Faiq was supported by Ahmed Shehzad (27, 21b, 3x4s, 1×6) earlier as the pair shared an opening partnership of 75 runs.

Imran Dogar (35, 24b, 4x4s, 1x6s) also chipped in with a vital contribution.

Sialkot openers, Ashir Mehmood (27, 14b, 3x4s, 1×6) and Mohammad Huraira (17, 18b, 3x4s), gave a decent start to their team but then Lahore Whites struck thrice to leave the opposition 52-3.

Shoaib Malik (64, 33b, 2x4s, 6x6s) was the only Sialkot batter who challenged the Lahore Whites bowlers.

Mohammad Irfan took three wickets while all other Lahore Whites bowlers bagged one scalp each.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, Abbottabad eked out a tight win against Lahore Blues they chased the target of 172 with three wickets in the bag and one ball to spare at NBP Sports Complex.

Lahore Blues were asked to bat first by Abbottabad and they did well to post a competitive total on board.

Imran Butt (5, 7b, 1×4) and Umar Siddiq (17, 11b, 3x4s) departed early.

Qasim Akram (40, 33b, 3x4s) and Rizwan Hussain (36, 27b, 4x4s, 1×6) then put on a partnership of 66 runs to steer Lahore Blues out of trouble.

Junaid Ali chipped in with an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls comprising of five boundaries and one six.

Debutant Aqib Khan picked up two wickets while Kamran Ghulam bagged the wicket of set batter Rizwan Hussain.

Abbottabad’s chase was anchored by opening batter Sajjad Ali Jnr (60, 41b, 6x4s, 2x6s) and the experienced Kamran (69, 45b, 5x4s, 4x6s), who stitched a second-wicket partnership of 83 runs.

Following Kamran’s dismissal in the 18th over, Shahab Khan’s timely cameo of 26 off 10 balls laced with three sixes took the game away from Lahore Blues.

Nisar Ahmed took two wickets for Lahore Blues while all other bowlers except Asfand Mehran took one scalp each.

READ: Pooran, Cadmore blitz guides Deccan Gladiators to a thumping victory

Huraira heroics help Sialkot bag second win of Super Eight Stage

KARACHI: Mohammad Huraira played a blistering knock to help Sialkot in beating Lahore Blues by seven wickets in the Super Eight Stage of the ongoing National T20 Cup 2023-24.

Sialkot chased the target of 150 in the last over of their innings. With this consolation win for Sialkot, the four semi-finalists have also been locked.

Lahore Blues had slim chances of qualifying but their loss means that the top four teams are Peshawar, Abbottabad, Karachi Whites and Rawalpindi.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Earlier, Lahore Blues won the toss and elected to bat first. Umar Siddiq (27, 17b, 4x4s) and Imran Butt (30, 19b, 5x4s) put up a 56-run opening partnership.

In the next two overs, Sialkot lost three quick wickets. Qasim Akram, batting at number 5, kept the Lahore Blues innings together with an unbeaten 53 comprising six boundaries and one maximum.

Sialkot’s gritty bowling effort restricted Lahore Blues to 149-8 in the allotted 20 overs. Shoaib Malik and Usman Khalid picked up two wickets apiece.

In pursuit, Sialkot lost Ashir Mehmood in the third over.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mohammad Huraira (86 not out, 55b, 9x4s, 3x6s) on one end continued with his audacious strokeplay as he stitched a partnership of 50 runs with Momin Waqar (25, 20b, 4x4s) and then a 39-run partnership with Shoaib Malik (10, 17b).

Mohammad Waleed also contributed with an unbeaten 16-ball 19.

Lahore Blues bowlers only struck thrice as Umaid Asif, Nisar Ahmad and Kashif Bhatti bagged a wicket each.

Mohammad Huraira was declared player of the match for his excellent knock.

READ: Franchises announce player retentions for PSL 9

Peshawar bag fifth consecutive win to qualify for semi-finals of National T20 Cup

KARACHI: Peshawar registered yet another magnificent win in the Super Eight stage of the ongoing National T20 Cup, beating Abbottabad by 21 runs at National Bank Stadium and consequently qualifying for the semi-finals.

Peshawar openers Sahibzada Farhan (64, 40b, 7x4s, 3x6s) and Israrullah (22, 12b, 3x4s, 1×6), came out all guns blazing.

Mohammad Haris (64, 49b, 6x4s, 2x6s), batting at number three, struggled early on but then became the glue for Peshawar’s innings with a fine half-century.

Iftikhar Ahmed’s (28, 16b, 1×6, 3x4s) contribution saw the team surge to 195-4 in the allotted 20 overs.

In reply, Abbottabad lost three batters early in the powerplay but then Kamran Ghulam and Afaq Ahmed stitched a 92-run partnership that kept them in the game.

Peshawar’s bowling effort was led by Mohammad Abbas Afridi, who bagged three wickets.

He was also aided by fellow pacer Mohammad Imran and Iftikhar Ahmed as they kept Abbottabad in check.

Imran Khan Snr took the prized wicket of Kamran Ghulam. Only three Abbottabad batters managed to enter double-figures.

Sahibzada Farhan was declared player of the match for his brilliant knock with the bat.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Earlier Lahore Blues put up a valiant effort to defend a total of 153 runs as FATA fell nine short of the target at NBP Sports Complex.

While batting first, Lahore Blues’ opening batter Umar Siddiq (40, 28b, 5x4s, 2x6s) looked in good touch as he kept churning boundaries while his fellow opener Imran Butt (15, 24b, 1×4) struggled in the middle.

Hussain Talat (57 not out, 36b, 2x4s, 1×6) led Lahore Blues from the front as he smashed an unbeaten fifty.

Wicketkeeper-batter Junaid Ali’s (23, 15b, 3x4s) contribution also helped Lahore Blues post a decent total.

FATA’s pursuit of the chase was jolted by the loss of four wickets by the 50-run mark.

Khushdil Shah (54, 42b, 2x4s, 3x6s) and Rehan Afridi (35, 30b, 4x4s) got together and kept FATA in the game. Kashif Bhatti struck at a crucial point in the game to remove both Khushdil and Rehan, which dented FATA’s chances of success.

Hunain Shah bagged two wickets in the last over and kept FATA tail-enders at bay from pulling off anything magical.

Hussain Talat and Nisar Ahmed bagged joint player of the match award for their efforts with bat and ball respectively.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Before that, in another Super Eight stage match of the National T20 Cup at UBL Sports Complex Rawalpindi secured a vital five-wicket win as they chased a target of 147 in 19.1 overs against Lahore Whites.

Saad Nasim, Lahore Whites captain, won the toss and elected to bat and got a good start but Rawalpindi’s Zaman Khan dismissed a well-set Muhammad Akhlaq (37, 21b, 7x4s, 1×6).

Lahore Blues lost Tayyab Tahir (22, 17b, 3x4s), Ahmed Shehzad (27, 29b, 1×4) and Saad Khan (6, 5b) in consecutive overs as Mubasir Khan and Jahandad Khan kept making inroads.

Skipper Saad Nasim’s unbeaten 27-ball 33 laced with one six and two fours made sure Lahore Whites put up a competitive total on the board.

In reply, Rawalpindi openers scored briskly as they plundered 55 runs in 5.2 overs before Zeeshan Malik (21, 17b, 4x4s) had to depart.

Lahore Whites then got three quick wickets including that of the in-form opener Yasir Khan (33, 28b, 4x4s).

Skipper Umar Amin (25, 25b, 2x4s) joined forces with Mohammad Nawaz (22 not out, 23b, 2x4s) and made sure to take Rawalpindi close to the target.

In the end, a timely cameo by Jahandad Khan (17 not out, 6b, 2x4s, 1×6) was crucial in taking Rawalpindi over the line.

Jahandad Khan was declared player of the match for his all-round heroics.

READ: PCB announces international cricketers registered for PSL 9 Draft

Azam, Ammad blitz help Karachi Whites defeat Sialkot in the Super Eight stage

KARACHI: Azam Khan and Ammad Alam played blistering cameos to guide Karachi Whites to victory over Sialkot in the Super Eight stage match of the National T20 Cup 2023-24 at National Bank Stadium.

The Asad Shafiq-led team chased the 166-run target in 18 overs with six wickets to spare after restricting Sialkot to 165-9 in the first innings.

Sialkot won the toss and elected to bat first, but lost three batters inside the powerplay with the scorecard reading 57-3.

The fourth wicket fell on the last ball of the subsequent over, bringing the score to 60-4 in seven overs.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Shoaib Malik, who came to the crease inside the powerplay after the fall of the second wicket, anchored the innings, hitting 54 from 44 deliveries including five fours and two sixes.

His effort helped take Sialkot to a respectable total as Sialkot captain Bilal Asif (22, 16b, 2x4s, 1×6) chipped in with some crucial runs as well.

Sohail Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Karachi Whites, as he returned with three wickets.

Right-arm fast bowler Aftab Ibrahim and left-arm spinner Danish Aziz had two scalps each while right-arm pacer Anwar Ali picked up a wicket as well.

Karachi Whites’ opening batter Ammad Alam took charge of the chase as he took only 16 deliveries to hit 43 runs, with two boundaries and five sixes.

However, His innings was cut short after he was caught off Usman Khalid’s bowling.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Karachi Whites’ innings faltered in the middle as three more wickets fell and the scoring rate decreased.

Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan brought back the momentum to the chase, picking up where Ammad had left off.

Azam produced an undefeated 59 from 24 balls, smashing six boundaries and four maximums, to see his side over the line with 12 deliveries to spare.

Right-arm pacer Mohammad Abbas and left-arm spinner Usman Khalid were the only two successful bowlers for Sialkot, yielding two wickets apiece as Karachi Whites successfully got to 166 with six wickets in the bag.

READ: PCB announces international cricketers registered for PSL 9 Draft

Nisar Ahmad’s five-fer guides Lahore Blues to first win in Super Eight stage

KARACHI: Lahore Blues’ Nisar Ahmed claimed a five-wicket haul including a hat-trick to guide his side to their first win in the Super Eight stage of the National T20 Cup 2023-24 after defeating Rawalpindi by 64 runs at National Bank Stadium.

After being put in to bat first, Lahore Blues openers Umar Siddiq (37, 23b, 7x4s) and Imran Butt (39, 29b, 6x4s, 1×6) gave their team a solid start by stitching a 74-run stand.

The side struggled in the middle, losing three wickets in quick succession. Zaman Khan ran Umar out while left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz struck twice, removing Imran and Rizwan Hussain.

Skipper Hussain Talat (42 not out, 32b, 3x4s, 1×6) and Qasim Akram (40 not out, 31b, 3x4s, 1×6) brought back momentum to the innings with an 85-run unbeaten partnership, which surged the total to 166.

Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP

Rawalpindi got off to a shaky start in the pursuit of their target as the side lost three wickets inside the powerplay.

Haider Ali (23, 14b, 5x4s) attempted to counterattack the Lahore Blues’ bowling attack but fell soon after in the seventh over as he was trapped LBW by Kashif Bhatti.

Mubasir Khan (24, 26b, 1×4, 1×6) was the top-scorer for Rawalpindi with the side dismissed for 102 in 17.4 overs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Nisar Ahmad wrapped up the Rawalpindi innings with some exceptional death overs bowling, picking up a hat-trick and registering his first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket.

Nisar’s figures read five wickets for just five runs and he was named player of the match for his exceptional bowling.

Leg-spinner Usman Qadir grabbed two scalps while Umaid Asif and Kashif Bhatti picked up a wicket apiece.

READ: Pakistan women create history by winning T20I series against New Zealand