FAISALABAD: Sialkot and Multan Regions from Group D sealed their spot in the knock-out stages of the National T20 Cup with dominant victories in their final group-stage matches here at Iqbal Stadium on Thursday.
Under the captaincy of Shoaib Malik, Sialkot topped Group D with six points from three matches, while Multan was equally good with four points from as many matches.
Multan sealed their spot in the quarters after securing a comprehensive victory against FATA by 74 runs, courtesy of Arafat Minha’s all-round performance.
After opting to bat first, Multan posted 167-7 in their allocated 20 overs. Minhas was equally good in batting, scoring a quick-fire 37 off 18 deliveries, laced with three fours and two sixes.
For FATA, Sameen Gul and Asif Ali were the pick of bowlers who claimed two wickets each, while Mohammad Naeem and Azaz Khan picked up one apiece.
FATA struggled in reply to the chase against the disciplined bowling of Multan. Salman Khan top-scored with 22 off 22 balls, while Rehan Afridi and Shahid Aziz could only score 14 runs each.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
FATA was eventually bundled out for 93 in 17.2 overs, thanks to clinical bowling performance from Multan bowlers.
In the 28th match, Sialkot secured an impressive eight-wicket victory over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), powered by Usama Mir’s economical bowling and an explosive innings from Mirza Baig.
AJK batted first, scoring 137/6, bolstered by a solid opening partnership of 65 runs from Hasan Raza (39) and Hasnain Nadeem (43).
Usama Mir and Hasan Ali each claimed three wickets, with Mir’s remarkable performance yielding just 13 runs in his four overs.
Sialkot successfully chased down the 138-run target, finishing with 33 balls to spare.
Baig led the innings with an outstanding unbeaten 76 off 44 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes. He received support from Muhammad Hurraira (30) and Mohsin Riaz (25*).
Shoaib Malik was dismissed early for just two runs, with Saad Asif capturing the only wicket for AJK.
The quarter-finals of the National T20 Cup will be played at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on 23 and 24 March.
READ: Hasan Nawaz reveals Agha Salman’s words before record-breaking century