Fakhar, Hafeez power KPK to comfortable win against Sindh after Shaheen’s fifer

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) powered to a comfortable eight-wicket victory against Sindh in their National T20 Cup encounter at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on the back of a solid 100-run partnership between batsmen Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez on Monday.

Chasing a tricky target of 184 runs, KP lost opener Mohammad Rizwan, early, who was bowled by fast-bowler Anwar Ali after scoring eight runs off 11 deliveries.

Hafeez then joined Zaman for a mammoth 100-run partnership. Zaman fell to Anwar Ali after scoring 61 runs off 41 deliveries.

Middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed however did not let the tempo slow down and helped the KP side chase down the target in 19 overs — playing an unbeaten 40-run knock off just 21 deliveries.

Hafeez was immovable at the other end and also remained unbeaten after scoring 72 runs off just 41 deliveries to propel his side to victory.

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Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the toss and elected to field first. Sindh’s opener Khurram Manzoor got Sindh off to a whirlwind start after scoring 17 runs off just six deliveries before being bowled by fast-bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second over of the match.

Opener Sharjeel Khan kept firing on all cylinders despite Azam Khan and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed departing for three and two runs, respectively, on the other end.

Batsman Ahsan Ali joined the in-form Sharjeel for a 111-run partnership, scoring 42 runs off 32 deliveries, before falling to bowler Asif Afridi.

Sharjeel soon followed in the next over, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi, after an explosive knock of 90 runs off just 56 deliveries that included seven fours and six sixes.

Afridi then took the wickets of tailenders Anwar Ali and Sohail Khan to ensure that the Sindh side could only manage 183 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted overs despite Sharjeel’s heroic knock with the bat.

Afridi was the pick of the bowlers from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa side, picking up five wickets while giving away 21 runs in four overs.