Umar Gul’s Peshawar Panther’s pulled a major upset, dumping Shahid Afridi’s Karachi Dolphins out of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup at the National Stadium on Friday.

The Panthers looked a better, well-knit unit and went about the game with a clear plan. Batting first they posted a formidable 177 for 7 in 20 overs on the back of Rafatullah Mohmand (39), Mohammad Fayyaz (42) and Zohaib Khan’s (43) display with the bat.

With the Panther’s opening bowlers Gul and Nauman Habib in top form, Peshawar’s total had already set the tone for the match.

Habib followed the Panthers’ good work with the bat with some fine seam bowling, picking up the dangerous opening combination of the Dolphins in Afridi and Shahzaib Hasan and later getting rid of test batsman Asad Shafiq.

Habib finished with 3 for 27 as Peshawar booked a place in the semis for the first time.