Lahore Blues, Peshawar reach National T20 Cup final

LAHORE: Lahore Region Blues and Peshawar qualified for the final of National T20 Cup Cricket Tournament by winning their respective semifinals at the Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad on Wednesday night.

Lahore Blues edged out Multan in a nail-biting finish with 5-run victory for Lahore Blues. Lahore Blues’ opener Imran Butt delivered a match-winning performance with an unbeaten 89 off 56 balls, including 11 fours and 2 sixes, guiding his team to a respectable total of 166-4. Umar Siddiq (29) supported him with a solid start.

Multan’s chase saw resistance from Zain Abbas (45 off 37 balls) and Muhammad Shahzad (41 off 34 balls), who built a 59-run stand for the third wicket. However, Lahore Blues tightened their grip, aided by standout bowling from Nisar Ahmad (2-27) and Mohammad Rizwan (2-28).

Despite a valiant late effort by Waseem Akram Jr, whose unbeaten 42 off 18 balls included three fours and four sixes, Multan fell agonizingly short, finishing at 161-7.

Earlier, Peshawar Region secured a commanding victory against Abbottabad in the first semi-final, courtesy of an extraordinary innings by Sahibzada Farhan. His explosive knock of 148 off just 72 balls, featuring 10 fours and 12 sixes. He has scored 588 runs in six matches—a new record for a single edition of the National T20 Cup.

Farhan’s brilliance led Peshawar to an imposing total of 243-3 in their 20 overs. Partnerships proved pivotal, with Farhan sharing a 116-run opening stand with Waqar Ahmed (34) and a 105-run partnership for the second wicket with Maaz Sadaqat (31). Muhammad Amir Barki added late fireworks with an unbeaten cameo of 20 runs off five balls.

Abbottabad’s chase faltered despite a 74-run opening partnership between Shahzaib Khan (53 off 43 balls) and Sajjad Ali Hashmi (37 off 22 balls). Israrullah (2-20), Mohammad Imran Jr (2-22), Iftikhar Ahmed (2-31), and Usman Tariq (2-37) restricted Abbottabad to 187-8, securing a resounding 56-run victory. Player of the Match: Imran Butt (Lahore Region Blues).