KARACHI: Ahmed Bashir claimed four wickets as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) dismissed Pakistan Television (PTV) for 220 on the opening day of the sixth round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I on Monday, while Markhor IT Solutions (MIT) posted 354-9 against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Islamabad.
At the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, PTV were bowled out in 49.4 overs after half-centuries from Sharoon Siraj and Taimur Khan provided the bulk of their runs.
Sharoon made 64 off 106 deliveries, striking nine fours, while Taimur scored 62 from 76 balls to help PTV recover sufficiently to reach 220. Bashir led KRL’s attack with figures of 4-59, while Arshad Iqbal took three wickets for 43 runs and Daniyal Ali Khan claimed two for 44.
KRL reached 59-2 in 18 overs at stumps, with Shahzaib Khan unbeaten on 25 and Iftikhar Ahmed on 15. The side trailed by 161 runs with eight wickets remaining.
At the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, MIT enjoyed a stronger day with the bat, finishing on 354-9 after 74 overs against SBP.
Abuzar Tariq top-scored with 77 off 125 balls, while Khalid Usman contributed 41 to help MIT build a substantial first-innings total against the tournament leaders.
For SBP, Mohammad Abbas and Shahid Aziz claimed three wickets apiece, although Shahid conceded 120 runs. Naqeebullah picked up two wickets for 43.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had on Sunday shifted two fixtures of the ongoing tournament from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab following political developments in the province, where a state of emergency and governor’s rule have been imposed.
The matches originally scheduled at Peshawar’s Imran Khan Stadium and Abbottabad Cricket Stadium were reassigned to venues in Sheikhupura and Lahore. Ghani Glass will face Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy at Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura from Oct 14, while Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will take on Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.
The changes also affect the final round of the league stage, which has been pushed back by a day and will begin on Oct 19. The LCCA Ground is also scheduled to host the final-round match between MIT and PTV.
In Islamabad, the National Cricket Ground will stage the Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy-SBP fixture in the last round, alongside the Diamond Cricket Ground, which remains in use for the tournament.
Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2026
