Panthers defeat Markhors to clinch the Champions One-Day Cup

When the Champions One-Day Cup, a local competition in Pakistan, finally came to an end, Panthers experienced joy while Markhors suffered heartbreak. On September 29, both teams squared off in the tournament’s championship match at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Markhors batted first in the opening over of the match, and Zain Abbas and Fakhar Zaman opened with scores of six and forty-six runs, respectively. Haseebullah Khan scored 27 runs in 48 deliveries, while Kamran Ghulam added two more runs to the score. In the first inning, the Panthers limited Markhors with a strong performance.

Markhors scored 122 runs in the first innings, with Bismillah Khan being removed for 16 runs and no other batsman scoring more than ten. With three wickets each, Mohammad Hasnain and Arafat Minhas led the Panthers in wicket-taking for their team. Ali Raza and Shadab Khan each claimed one wicket, while Sajid Khan claimed two wickets.

Panthers easily pursue their target.

The Panthers began their innings with Umar Siddiq and Abdul Bangalzai scoring 19 and 41 runs, respectively, as they attempted to chase down the mark of 123 runs. With a total of 16 runs, Sajid Khan and Usman Khan added 15 and 13 runs, respectively, while Rizwan Mehmood continued his unbeaten streak.

In addition, Shadab Khan scored 14* runs, helping the Panthers reach the mark in just 18 overs, winning the match by five wickets and securing the championship. With two wickets apiece, Mohammad Imran and Akif Javed led the Markhors in wicket-taking during the second innings. Additionally, Shahnawaz Dahani claimed one wicket.

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With his 15-run knock and his performance in the first innings, in which he took two wickets, gave up 24 runs, and made two catches, Sajid Khan was named Player of the Match.