LAHORE: Abbottabad defeated Karachi Whites by nine wickets in a one-sided National T20 Cup final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday — claiming their maiden title in a tournament that has been running since 2004-05.

Put into bat, Karachi were bundled out for 118 in 18.3 overs. Abbottabad overhauled the target in 13.5 overs for the loss of one wicket, having collected 50 runs in the PowerPlay. Fast bowler Arshad Iqbal and opener Shahzaib Khan were the architects of Abbottabad’s emphatic victory. Arshad returned figures of 4-0-28-3, while Shahzaib stroked an unconquered half-century.

Karachi’s innings was a top-heavy collapse in reverse — number nine batter Saqib Khan was the top-scorer with 22, while Saud Shakeel (17), Shan Masood (16) and Haroon Arshad (13) were the other notable contributors. Shadab Khan, Shahab Khan and Razaullah each took two wickets alongside Arshad’s three.

In reply, Abbottabad lost only Afaq Khan (13) before completing the chase. Shahzaib Khan returned undefeated on 54 from 41 balls with three fours and four sixes, while Kamran Ghulam scored an equally destructive 45 not out from 26 balls with three fours and three sixes. The pair added an unbroken 58-run second-wicket stand from 39 balls after Shahzaib had already stitched a 62-run opening partnership from 45 balls with Afaq.

Across the tournament, Kamran Ghulam was Abbottabad’s leading run-scorer with 268 runs from six matches, while Shahzaib Khan contributed 214. With the ball, Shahab Khan led the way with 15 wickets, followed by Shadab Khan with 11 and Arshad Iqbal with six.

Twenty-two of the tournament’s 23 matches were played at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar from 7 to 17 March. The final was postponed after both the second semi-final between Lahore Whites and Abbottabad and the original final between Abbottabad and Karachi Whites were abandoned as no-results due to rain. Rescheduled to 7 June at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the final became the last match of Pakistan’s 2025-26 domestic cricket season.

SCORES IN BRIEF:

Match 23 (Final) – Abbottabad beat Karachi Whites by nine wickets, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

KARACHI WHITES 118 all-out, 18.3 overs (Saqib Khan 22, Saud Shakeel 17, Shan Masood 16, Haroon Arshad 13; Arshad Iqbal 3-28, Shadab Khan 2-17, Shahab Khan 2-18, Razaullah 2-26)

ABBOTTABAD 120-1, 13.5 overs (Shahzaib Khan 54 not out, Kamran Ghulam 45 not out)

PLAYER OF THE FINAL: Arshad Iqbal (Abbottabad)

Match 21 (1st semi-final) – Karachi Whites beat Sialkot by five wickets, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar

SIALKOT 165-9, 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 43, Khawaja Arham 40, Ali Afzal 26, Usama Mir 19; Mohammad Umar 3-29, Mohammad Asghar 2-23)

KARACHI WHITES 167-5, 15.1 overs (Abdullah Fazal 88, Saud Shakeel 45; Usama Mir 3-46)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Abdullah Fazal

Match 22 (2nd semi-final) – Lahore Whites v Abbottabad, No-result, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar

LAHORE WHITES 194-6, 20 overs (Imran Dogar 62, Mohammad Akhlaq 42, Farhan Yousaf 33 not out, Mohammad Mohsin 24; Shahab Khan 4-28)