• Bahawalpur ended Karachi Blues’ unbeaten streak in the tournament with a 59-run win in the final

• Both the team will now take part in the 10-team National T20 Cup 2026 in March

Lahore, Bahawalpur Region romped to victory in the final of the National T20 Cup Qualifier against Karachi Region Blues here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Tuesday night. After posting 172-5 in 20 overs on the back of explosive 80-run knock by captain Muhammad Imran, Bahawalpur bowled out Karachi Blues for 113 in 16 overs.

The two teams had already secured the qualification for the 10-team National T20 Cup 2026 after topping their respective pools.

Karachi Blues had won four matches on the trot before succumbing to loss in the final, while Bahawalpur ended the title-winning campaign with four successive wins after losing their first match against Rawalpindi.

Bahawalpur were sluggish after opting to bat first as they scored only 45 runs off the first 10 overs of their innings. Imran walked in at no.5 and changed the complexion of the innings as the eventual winners ransacked 127 runs off the last 10 overs.

Imran first stitched a 45-run stand with Mohammad Ammar (30, 36b, 2x4s, 1×6) before going out all guns blazing in a 37-ball 82-run partnership with Mohammad Faizan Zafar (35, 15b, 2x4s, 3x6s). Bahawalpur skipper laid the foundation of his team’s triumph with his career-best T20 score with the help of five fours and six sixes.

Off-spinner Wahaj Riaz picked up two for 22 in his four overs to collect best bowlers and player of the tournament awards.

In turn, Karachi Blues scrambled to 93-3 in 12.1 overs before a spectacular batting collapse set in as they lost seven for 20. Bahawalpur pacer Ali Shabbir picked three of these wickets as he gave away 21 runs in his four overs.

For Karachi Blues, only best batter of the tournament Ahsan Ali could cross the 20-run mark as he hit a threating 29-ball 43 with the help of three fours and as many sixes. Bahawalpur’s trio of Mohammad Umair, Mohammad Junaid and Mohammad Basit picked up two wickets each.

Scores in brief

Final – Bahawalpur Region beat Karachi Region Blues by 59 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Bahawalpur 172-5, 20 overs (Muhammad Imran 80, Mohammad Faizan Zafar 35 not out, Mohammad Ammar 30; Wahaj Riaz 2-22)

Karachi Blues 113 all out, 16 overs (Ahsan Ali 43; Ali Shabbir 3-21, Mohammad Umair 2-9, Mohammad Junaid 2-15, Mohammad Basit 2-20)

Player of the match – Muhammad Imran (Bahawalpur)

Best batter of the tournament – Ahsan Ali (Karachi Blues)

Player of the tournament and best bowler of the tournament – Wahaj Riaz (Karachi Blues)

Best wicketkeeper of the tournament – Mohammad Akram (Bahawalpur)

• Akbar Khan scored a 15-ball half century in Hyderabad’s 46-run win over FATA

• Bahawalpur’s Sudais defended five off last over to hand DM Jamali an agonising loss

Lahore : Hyderabad Region and Bahawalpur Region secured victories against FATA Region and Dera Murad Jamali Region, respectively, in Match 15 and 16 of ABS Developers present University of Lahore National T20 Cup Qualifier on Saturday here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

In the second match, defending five runs off the final over, Bahawalpur’s Mohammad Sudais not only bowled a maiden over, but bagged three crucial wickets, including the prized scalp of Dera Murad Jamali’s joint-top scorer Mohammad Shahid (39, 50b, 4x4s).

Bahawalpur romped to a come-from-behind and crucial four-run win defending their 104-run total.

In pursuit of the low total, Dera Murad Jamali were reduced to 36-5 in 9.1 overs before Shahid and Fahad Hussain (39, 33b, 2x4s, 3x6s) knitted a 62-run partnership to take their side within touching distance of victory.

With eight runs required off 12 deliveries and five wickets in hand, Dera Murad Jamali looked all but victorious. However, skipper Muhammad Imran removed set batter Fahad and then Tariq Jameel for a golden duck on back-to-back balls in the penultimate over, giving away three runs.

At the beginning of the chase, Dera Murad Jamali faced setback as Bahawalpur’s left-arm pacer Mohammad Azab picked up three wickets in his first two overs with only five runs on the board.

Opening batter Nasir Khan (14, 21b, 2x4s) and Shahid then put together 30 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was dismissed in the ninth over. Three deliveries later, Bahawalpur saw the back of Shoaib Ahmed, leaving Dera Murad Jamali in deep trouble at 36-5.

Azab returned figures of 4-1-10-3, while Imran bagged two for 19 in his four overs.

Batting first, Bahawalpur recovered from 42-5 in 10.1 overs to post 104-9 in 20 overs. No.3 batter Mohammad Ammar remained unbeaten on 39 off 46 balls hitting three boundaries. Only skipper Imran (14, 17b, 2x4s) and Ali Afzal (13, 11b, 1×4, 1×6) were the other two batters to get into double figures.

For Dera Murad Jamali, Farhan Ullah returned figures of 4-0-13-3, while Tariq Jameel (4-0-15-2) and Saleem Mal (4-0-23-2) shared four wickets.

The win took Bahawalpur level on points with FATA and Hyderabad as all three teams have four points in the bag.

In the first game of the day, Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batter Akbar Khan smashed the third-fastest T20 half-century by a Pakistan batter, racing to the landmark off just 15 balls, laced with three fours and five sixes. The knock was vital in Hyderabad scoring 72 runs in the last 4.1 overs as they posted 197-5 in 20 overs.

Akbar’s 17-ball 51 complimented the decent start provided by Sharjeel Khan, who bagged his 18th T20 half-century, contributing 56 off 38 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. Akbar had walked in at 125-4 in 15.5 overs and faced 17 off the next 19 balls to produce a game-changing knock.

No.4 Mohammad Suleman (24, 19b, 4x4s) and opening batter Ubaidullah (22, 22b, 4x4s) also contributed towards setting the stage for the second-highest total in the tournament. For FATA, Sirajuddin and Mohammad Sarwar Afridi picked up two wickets each.

In reply, FATA lost two wickets in the powerplay to find themselves 38-2 after 5.4 overs. Top-scorer Mohammad Naeem and Samiullah Jnr (19, 15b, 2x4s) then shared a 53-run alliance before the latter was dismissed in the 12th overs as the scoreboard read 91-3.

Right-arm leg-spinner Jawad Ali delivered a double strike for Hyderabad in 15th over to remove the aggressive duo of Khushdil Shah (5, 11b) and Naeem (55, 45b, 4x4s, 4x6s) as FATA were left requiring 88 off the final five overs with five wickets in hand. They eventually fell 46 runs short, finishing on 151-7 in their 20 overs.

Shehryar Baloch spearheaded the Hyderabad bowling attack with figures of 4-0-32-3, while Jawad’s two scalps came for 29 in four overs. DM Jamali’s campaign in the tournament ended with one win out of four games.

Scores in brief:

Match 15: Hyderabad Region beat FATA Region by 46 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Hyderabad 197-5, 20 overs (Sharjeel Khan 56, Akbar Khan 51, Mohammad Suleman 24, Ubaidullah 22; Sirajuddin 2-27, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 2-54)

FATA 151-7, 20 overs (Mohammad Naeem 55; Shehryar Baloch 3-32, Jawad Ali 2-29)

Player of the match: Akbar Khan (Hyderabad Region)

Match 16: Bahawalpur Region beat Dera Murad Jamali Region by four runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Bahawalpur 104-9, 20 overs (Mohammad Ammar 39 not out; Farhan Ullah 3-13, Tariq Jameel 2-15, Saleem Mal 2-23)

Dera Murad Jamali 100 all out, 20 overs (Fahad Hussain 39, Muhammad Shahid 39; Mohammad Sudais 3-0, Mohammad Azab 3-10, Muhammad Imran 2-19)

Player of the match: Mohammad Sudais (Bahawalpur Region)

Sunday’s fixtures

Karachi Blues v Islamabad at 4pm PKT

Azad Jammu and Kashmir v Quetta at 9:15pm PKT

By Nawaz Gohar ; A 21-year-old national record was shattered at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, as Bahawalpur Region’s opening batsman, Mohammad Akram, etched his name into the history books by scoring the fastest-ever T20 half-century by a Pakistani cricketer.

The historic feat occurred during a National T20 Cup Qualifier match between Bahawalpur Region and Hyderabad Region. Chasing a modest target of 112 runs after Hyderabad was restricted to 111/8, the 24-year-old Akram unleashed a ferocious batting display that left the opposition stunned.

Mohammad Akram reached the 50-run milestone in just 13 deliveries, an extraordinary innings decorated with six boundaries and four towering sixes. His explosive performance ensured that Bahawalpur Region chased down the target in a mere 9.3 overs, securing a dominant victory.

By reaching his fifty in 13 balls, Akram surpassed the long-standing record held by former Pakistan star Imran Nazir. In 2005, playing for the Sialkot Stallions against the Lahore Eagles,

Nazir had smashed a 14-ball half-century, a record that remained untouched for over two decades. With this achievement, the list of the fastest half-centuries by Pakistanis has been reshuffled.

Other notable names on this elite list include Moinuddin, who scored a 15-ball fifty in the 2023-24 season, and Ahmed Shehzad, who achieved the feat in 16 balls during the 2012 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final.

Akram’s record-breaking innings has immediately caught the attention of national selectors and fans alike, marking him as one of the most exciting young prospects in Pakistan’s white-ball cricket.