Sialkot, Multan bag wins in National T20 Cup sixth round

2026-03-13 - 08:14

Sialkot and Multan bagged wins against Lahore and Karachi in the sixth round of the National T20 Cup at Peshawar’s Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on Thursday night. Defending 210, Sialkot’s Usama Mir ran through Lahore Blues’ batting, capturing six wickets for a mere eight runs to bundle Lahore Blues out on 100. Usama’s outstanding display brought him the joint-seventh best bowling figures in T20 cricket and the maiden six-wicket haul in T20S by a Pakistan bowler. Following a 55-run second-wicket partnership between opening batter Umar Siddiq (31) and Hamza Zahoor (37), no other Lahore Blues batter managed to get into double figures as they folded in 14.2 overs. Earlier, Sialkot Region posted 210 for four in their 20 overs. After losing both openers by the 5.1-over mark with 50 runs on the board, top-scorer Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Nawaz steadied the innings with an 80-run stand. Abdullah made a 31-ball 57, striking six fours and three sixes, before falling in the 12th over. Hasan departed seven deliveries later after scoring 41 off 28 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. Mohsin Riaz then teamed up with Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti to add an unbeaten 76 runs, taking Sialkot to a formidable total. In the second game of the night, Multan defeated Karachi Blues by 74 runs while defending their total of 201-6. After being asked to bat, skipper Imam-ul-Haq led from the front with a 40-ball 71, which included nine fours and two sixes. Imam also shared a 70-run opening stand off 38 balls with Mohammad Naeem, who scored 39 off 25 deliveries, hitting seven fours and one six. Wicketkeeper-batter Bismillah Khan (34) added 70 runs for the third wicket with Imam, before Karachi Blues struck thrice in the 16th, 17th and 18th over as Multan found themselves168-5 in 17.3 overs. Waseem Akram Jnr chipped in with a late unbeaten cameo of 22 off eight deliveries, hitting three fours and one six. In reply, Karachi Blues were bundled out for 127 in 15.4 overs. Mohammad Ismail led the bowling charge with figures of 3-0-25-3, while Arafat Minhas chipped in with two wickets for 25 runs in 2.4 overs. Usman Khan and Mehran Mumtaz provided the only resistance of note, putting together a 48-run partnership after Karachi Blues had slipped to 56 for five in 7.4 overs. Usman struck 43 off 24 deliveries, hitting four fours and two sixes. He also collected two sixes off the first two balls of the 12th over, bowled by Moheer Saeed, before falling on the third delivery. PSL franchises can make player transfers until March 18