Bowlers guide Abbottabad to dominant victory in National T20 cup

Abbottabad began their National T20 Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Rawalpindi in the fifth match of the tournament, held at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Abbottabad’s captain, Yasir Shah, won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that proved to be highly effective. His bowlers set a strong foundation for victory by restricting Rawalpindi to a low total of just 104 runs in 18.3 overs.

The standout performers with the ball for Abbottabad were Arshad Iqbal and Shahab Khan, who both took three wickets each. Khalid Usman, Fayyaz Khan, and Yasir Shah each chipped in with one wicket. 

Rawalpindi’s middle-order batter, Mubasir Khan, top-scored for his team with 24 runs off 20 balls, while wicketkeeper-batter Taimur Khan contributed 23 runs off 15 balls. Mohammad Nawaz (19) was the only other batter to reach double figures, as the rest of the Rawalpindi lineup struggled against Abbottabad's disciplined and ruthless bowling attack.

In response, Abbottabad comfortably chased down the target with 41 balls to spare, losing just three wickets. Kamran Ghulam remained unbeaten, finishing as the top scorer with 37 not out from 27 balls, including three boundaries and a six.

Abbottabad's opening pair, Shahzaib Khan (19) and Sajjad Ali Hashmi (16), as well as middle-order batter Mohammad Arif (18), all made useful contributions in the chase.

Rawalpindi’s bowlers, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Faizan, and Saad Masood, each took one wicket, but could not stop Abbottabad from cruising to victory.

The seven-wicket win put Abbottabad at the second position of Group C standings with two points, while Rawalpindi found themselves at the third after the defeat.