In a thrilling finale at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, the Panthers emerged victorious in the inaugural Champions One-Day Cup, defeating the Markhors by five wickets.

The Panthers, led by the astute Shadab Khan, chased down the Markhors' modest total of 123 runs in 18 overs. Earlier, the Markhors had struggled to build a substantial partnership, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Zain Abbas, the Markhors' opener, was dismissed early for 6 runs. Fakhar Zaman briefly rallied the innings with a 46-run knock, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah Khan, Bismillah Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed all fell cheaply, leaving the Markhors reeling at 59/7.

The lower order failed to provide the necessary support, and the Markhors were bowled out for 123 runs in 33.4 overs. Mohammad Hasnain, Arafat Minhas, and Sajid Khan were the pick of the Panthers' bowlers, claiming three wickets each.

In reply, the Panthers faced a few challenges during their chase. Umar Siddiq and Abdul Bangalzai got the innings off to a solid start, but their departures left the Panthers at 78/3.

However, Rizwan Mehmood and Shadab Khan steadied the ship and ensured a comfortable victory for the Panthers. Rizwan remained unbeaten on 16, while Shadab contributed a crucial 14 runs.