Karachi, Abbottabad advance to National T20 Cup Final

2026-03-18 - 07:20

Karachi Whites and Abbottabad advanced to the final of the National T20 Cup 2026 after contrasting semi-final outcomes at Peshawar’s Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night. Abdullah Fazal’s scintillating 88 off 41 balls powered Karachi Whites to a five-wicket win in a 166-run chase over Sialkot with 29 balls to spare in the first semi-final. In the second semi-final, Imran Dogar’s blistering 31-ball 62 helped Lahore Whites post 194 for six. However, persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned, sending Abbottabad through to the final as they finished higher than Lahore Whites at the end of the group stage. Karachi Whites and Abbottabad will face off in the final on Wednesday, March 18, at 7.30 pm, with March 19 set aside as the reserve day. Chasing 166, Karachi Whites made an emphatic start as Abdullah and skipper Saud Shakeel raced to 92 in seven overs. Saud set the tone with a 21-ball 45, hitting five fours and three sixes, before he was dismissed off the first ball of the eighth over. He ransacked 26 runs off the third over, clubbing Shoaib Akhtar Jr for three sixes and two fours. Shan Masood fell for one soon after, but Abdullah kept up the charge and all but sealed the contest in Karachi’s favour. Dominating the Sialkot bowling with six fours and seven sixes, Abdullah hammered a match-winning 88 before falling in the 14th over with victory well within sight. Batting first, Sialkot got off to a brisk start through Khawaja Arham and Mohsin Riaz, who took the score to 31 without loss in three overs. Mohsin (15) and Abdullah Shafique (8) departed in quick succession with 44 runs on the board. Arham kept the innings together with Hasan Nawaz, adding 42 runs for the third wicket before departing in the 12th over after a 33-ball 40, laced with two fours and three sixes. At the other end, Hasan continued to anchor the innings despite regular wickets. His resistance ended in the 16th over when Mohammad Asghar dismissed him for a 33-ball 43, studded with two fours and two sixes, with Sialkot then 118 for six. A late push came from wicketkeeper-batter Ali Afzal and skipper Usama Mir, who stitched together a 37-run stand off 21 balls. Usama made 19 off 14 balls with three fours, while Ali struck 26 off 13 deliveries, smashing one four and three sixes as Sialkot stumbled to 165 for nine in their 20 overs. In the rain-hit second semi-final, Lahore Whites piled up 194 for six in their 20 overs, powered by a fiery knock from Imran Dogar, who struck 62 off 31 balls with three fours and five sixes. Imran’s aggressive stroke play kept Lahore Whites on the front foot, while Akhlaq played the supporting role with a composed 42 off 35 deliveries, hitting six fours. Lahore Whites received a timely lift at the back end of the innings through Farhan Yousuf and Mohammad Mohsin, who added valuable late runs. Mohsin made 24 off 16 balls, striking one four and two sixes, while Farhan remained unbeaten on 33 off 19 deliveries, cracking six fours, as Lahore Whites finished with a commanding total. Abbottabad’s reply, however, never got underway as persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned. Having topped Group B, Abbottabad advanced to the final ahead of Lahore Whites, who had finished second in Group A. Abbottabad, Sialkot advance to National T20 Cup Semis