Abbottabad thrash Karachi Whites to lift maiden T20 title

LAHORE, Jun 08 (APP):Abbottabad produced a dominant all-round performance, led by a disciplined bowling display and an unbeaten half-century from opening batter Shahzaib Khan, to defeat Karachi Whites by nine wickets in the final of the ABS Developers National T20 Cup 2025-26 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Sunday night.

Shadab Khan-led Abbottabad chased the 119-run target with 37 balls to spare as Shahzaib (54 not out, 41b, 3x4s, 4x6s) and Kamran Ghulam (45 not out, 26b, 3x4s, 3x6s) put on an unbeaten 58-run stand. Shahzaib had earlier given his team a blistering start putting on 62 runs for the opening wicket with Afaq Khan (13, 17b, 1×4).

Kamran finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 246 runs to his name in six games, while Shahzaib finished third on the ladder with 209 runs in as many matches.

Rizwanullah was the lone wicket-taker for Karachi Whites as he got Afaq caught behind in the eighth over.

Earlier, Abbottabad pacers unleashed havoc on the Karachi Whites batters as they reduced them to 83-7 in 12.3 overs with Arshad Iqbal spearheading the attack. Arshad removed opener Abdullah Fazal to draw first blood and induced a double strike in 11th over dismissing Shan Masood and Khawaja Mohammad Nafay.

Karachi Whites’ skipper Saud Shakeel couldn’t convert his start as he fell for an 18-ball 17 comprising of two fours becoming Shahab Khan’s first of the two scalps in the game. Mohammad Wasim Jnr struck to remove Karachi’s no.3 Haroon Arshad, curtailing his innings to 13 off 10 with the help of three fours.

Razaullah sent back Saifullah Bangash in seventh over with Karachi Whites reeling at 49-4. It was at this moment when Shan (16, 12b, 2x4s) tried rebuilding the innings with a 27-run stand with Khawaja Nafay but Arshad got rid of both.

With Karachi Whites languishing at 83-7 in 12.3 overs, no.9 batter Saqib Khan top-scored for his team with a run-a-ball 22 hitting two fours. Abrar Ahmed also hit a six in his six-ball seven as Whites posted 118 all out in 18.3 overs.

Arshad returned figures of 4-0-28-3, while skipper Shadab, Shahab Khan and Razaullah picked up two wickets each. Shahab finished with 15 scalps in the tournament, just one behind Sialkot’s Usama Mir.

Final – Abbottabad Region beat Karachi Region Whites by nine wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Karachi Whites 118 all out, 18.3 overs (Saqib Khan 22, Saud Shakeel 17; 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 Region)

Best wicketkeeper-batter of the tournament – Usman Khan (184 runs and 6 dismissals – Karachi Blues)

Best bowler and player of the tournament – Usama Mir (16 wickets – Sialkot Region)

Best batter of the tournament – Kamran Ghulam (268 runs – Abbottabad Region).