Abbottabad Stun Karachi Whites to Lift Maiden National T20 Crown
LAHORE: Abbottabad created history by securing their maiden National T20 Cup title after outclassing Karachi Whites by nine wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
The tournament decider was originally scheduled for March 19 at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar, but continuous rain and an unplayable outfield led to its postponement. The final was later rescheduled and moved to Lahore.
Set a target of 119 runs, Abbottabad made light work of the chase, reaching the total with 37 balls to spare. Young opener Shahzaib Khan starred with an unbeaten half-century, while Kamran Ghulam played an aggressive supporting role to ensure a comfortable victory.
Abbottabad’s only setback came when Afaq Khan was dismissed for 13 after adding a steady opening stand. From there, Shahzaib and Kamran took complete control of proceedings. Shahzaib remained unbeaten on 54 from 41 deliveries, striking three fours and four sixes, while Kamran finished on a brisk 45 not out off just 26 balls, decorated with three boundaries and three maximums.
Earlier, Abbottabad’s bowling attack laid the foundation for the triumph by restricting Karachi Whites to 118 all out in 18.3 overs. The Karachi batting unit struggled to gain momentum throughout the innings as wickets fell at regular intervals, preventing any meaningful partnerships from developing.
Lower-order batter Saqib Khan emerged as Karachi’s highest scorer with 22 runs from 22 balls, while skipper Saud Shakeel contributed 17. Shan Masood made 16 and Haroon Arshad added 13, but no batter was able to convert their start into a significant innings.
Arshad Iqbal led the charge with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets and consistently putting Karachi under pressure. Shahab Khan and Razaullah picked up two wickets each, while captain Shadab Khan also struck twice to further dent Karachi’s hopes.
With a disciplined bowling effort followed by a commanding batting display, Abbottabad completed a memorable victory to lift the National T20 Cup trophy for the first time in their history.
