Karachi, Lahore secure wins in rain-hit National T20 Cup matches

2026-03-10 - 12:34

Karachi Whites and Lahore Whites secured victories in the rain-hit third round matches of the National T20 Cup at Peshawar’s Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on Monday night. In the first game of the day, Karachi Whites defeated Bahawalpur by 12 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method after rain brought play to a premature end with Karachi cruising at 78 without loss in nine overs in pursuit of 186. That the Karachi Whites were 12 runs ahead of the 66-run DLS par score after nine overs was due to the opening duo ransacking 58 runs in the powerplay. The win marked their second consecutive triumph in the tournament, with games against Peshawar and Lahore Whites left. The chase was underpinned by the unbeaten opening partnership between Abdullah Fazal (25 not out) and player of the match Saim Ayub, who registered his 21st T20 half-century with an unbeaten 53 off 35 balls, striking seven fours and two sixes. Earlier, Saim also made a difference with the ball, bagging two for 43 in his four overs, including the prized wicket of Bahawalpur’s opening batter Mohammad Faizan Zafar (49). Bahawalpur had earlier posted 185-8 in their 20 overs, with skipper Muhammad Imran leading the charge with a 35-ball 55 featuring one four and five sixes, while opening batter Mohammad Akram chipped in with 25 off 19 balls, hitting five fours. In the second game of the night, Lahore Whites beat Faisalabad by six wickets with two balls to spare, chasing down a 107-run target in a rain-curtailed 10-overs-a-side fixture. Faisalabad were 42 for three in 4.1 overs when rain first interrupted play. After the resumption of play, the game was reduced to 13-overs-a-side. A second stoppage came with the score at 105 for seven in 9.5 overs, at which point it further trimmed the match to 10 overs a side. Faisalabad finished on 106-7 in their allotted 10 overs, powered by Mubasir Khan’s brisk 26 off 10 balls, which included one four and three sixes. Mohammad Faizan also provided some spark at the top with a 21 off 11 deliveries, striking one four and two sixes. In reply, Lahore Whites’ openers Muhammad Akhlaq (48) and Mohammad Faiq (32) all but sealed the contest with a 74-run opening stand in five overs. Faisalabad tried to stage a comeback by taking three for 11 from 7.4 to 9.3 overs, which included a two-wicket over by Mubasir, but in vain as skipper Aamir Jamal hit the winning runs for his team. National T20 Cup: Abbottabad edge past Multan in last-ball thriller