PESHAWAR: Karachi Whites and Abbottabad adva­nced to the final of the National T20 Cup after contrasting semi-final outcomes here at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Opener Abdullah Fazal’s scintillating 88 off 41 balls powered Karachi Whites to a five-wicket win in a 166-run chase over Sialkot with 29 balls to spare in the first semi-final.

In the second semi-final, Imr­an Dogar’s blistering 31-ball 62 helped Lahore Whites post 194-6 off the stipulated overs. However, persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned, sending Abbottabad through to the final as they finished higher than Lahore Whites at the end of group stage.

Chasing 166, Karachi Whites made an emphatic start as Abdullah and skipper Saud Shakeel helped their team cruise to 92-0 in seven overs. Saud set the tone with a 21-ball 45, hitting five fours and three sixes before he was dismissed off the first ball of the eighth over. He collected 26 runs off the third over clubbing Shoaib Akhtar Jr for three sixes and two fours.

Shan Masood fell for one soon after, but Abdullah kept up the cha­rge and all but sealed the contest in Karachi’s favour. Dominating the Sialkot bowling with six fours and seven sixes, Abdullah hammered a match-winning 88 before falling in the 14th over with victory well within sight.

Haroon Arshad, unbeaten on 15 off nine balls with two fours, and Da­n­­ish Aziz (seven not out) completed the chase in 15.1 overs for Karachi Whites.

Sialkot’s skipper Usama Mir accounted for the scalps of Shan, Saud and Khawaja Moha­mmad Nafay but in vain. He ended up with 16 wickets in five matches of the National T20 Cup.

Batting first, Sialkot got off to a brisk start through Khawaja Arham and Mohsin Riaz, who took the score to 31-0 in three overs. However, Mohsin (15) and Abdullah Shafique (eight) departed in quick succession with 44 runs on the board.

Arham kept the innings tog­e­ther with Hasan Nawaz, adding 42 runs for the third wicket before departing in the 12th over after a 33-ball 40, laced with two fours and three sixes.

At the other end, Hasan continued to anchor the innings des­pite regular wickets. His resistance ended in the 16th over when Mohammad Asghar dismissed him for a 33-ball 43, studded with two fours and two sixes, with Sialkot then 118 for six.

A late push came from wicket-keeper/batter Ali Afzal and skipper Usama Mir, who stitched together a 37-run stand off 21 balls. Usama made 19 off 14 balls with three fours, while Ali struck 26 off 13, smashing one four and three sixes as Sialkot stumbled to 165 for nine in their 20 overs.

For Karachi Whites, Moha­mmad Umar claimed three wickets for 29, while Asghar claimed 2-23, including the key scalps of Arham and Hasan.

In the rain-hit second semi-final, Lahore Whites piled up 194-6 in their 20 overs, powered by a fiery knock from No.3 batter Imran, who struck 62 off 31 balls with three fours and five sixes.

After Mohammad Faiq’s 18 off 11, featuring two fours and a six, ended in the fifth over with 38 runs on the board, Mohammad Akhlaq joined Imran at the crease. The pair added 64 for the second wicket, steering Lahore Whites to 102 in 11.1 overs.

Imran’s aggressive strokeplay kept Lahore Whites on the front foot, while Akhlaq played the supporting role with a composed 42 off 35 deliveries, hitting six fours.

Lahore Whites received a timely lift at the back end of the innings through Farhan Yousuf and Moham­mad Mohsin, who added valuable late runs. Mohsin made 24 off 16, striking one four and two sixes, while Farhan remained unbeaten on 33 off 19, cracking six fours, as Lahore Whites finished with a commanding total.

For Abbottabad, left-arm pac­er Shahab Khan was the standout bow­ler, returning four for 28.Abbot­tabad’s reply, however, never got underway as persistent rain forced the mat­ch to be abandoned. Having top­­ped Group ‘B’, Abbottabad advanced to the final ahead of Lahore Whites, who had finished second in Group ‘A’.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026