Lahore Blues, Karachi Whites win their respective matches in National T20 cup

Karachi Whites and Lahore Blues win their respective matches in the ongoing National T20 Cup 2024-25 with impressive victories on Sunday night.

In Group B, Lahore Blues secured a comfortable win over Bahawalpur, while Karachi Whites registered their second win of the tournament by defeating Dera Murad Jamali.

Lahore Blues chased down a modest target of 98 runs set by Bahawalpur in just 9.4 overs. Opening batsman Imran Butt was the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 48 off 32 balls, which included eight boundaries. His opening partner, Umar Siddiq, added a quickfire 41 off 16 balls, featuring three fours and four sixes. The pair shared a dominant 72-run stand to guide Lahore Blues to victory.

Earlier, Lahore Blues’ bowlers put on a brilliant display, with Player of the Match Qasim Akram and Mohammad Salman Mirza taking six wickets for just 24 runs. Akram delivered a remarkable spell, conceding only six runs in four overs while claiming three wickets, while Salman finished with figures of 3-18 in 3.2 overs, completely dismantling Bahawalpur's batting order.

Meanwhile, Karachi Whites defeated Dera Murad Jamali by six wickets in a chase of 133 runs. Saqib Khan led the charge with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs in four overs, limiting DM Jamali to 132-7 in 20 overs.

In reply, Khurram Manzoor top-scored for Karachi Whites with a solid 42 off 31 balls, while Shan Masood provided crucial support, smashing 38 off 19 balls with four sixes and two fours. Debutant Haroon Arshad remained unbeaten on 21, helping Karachi reach the target in 17.3 overs.

Scores in brief:

Match 6 – Lahore Region Blues vs. Bahawalpur Region (Lahore Blues won by 9 wickets)
Bahawalpur: 97 all out, 18.2 overs (Muhammad Imran 22; Qasim Akram 3-6, Mohammad Salman Mirza 3-18)  
Lahore Blues: 98-1, 9.4 overs (Imran Butt 48*, Umar Siddiq 41; Salahuddin 1-17)  
Player of the Match: Qasim Akram (Lahore Blues)

Match 8 – Karachi Region Whites vs. Dera Murad Jamali Region (Karachi Whites won by 6 wickets)  
Dera Murad Jamali: 132-7, 20 overs (Basit Ali 29, Dawood Khan 29; Saqib Khan 3-23)  
Karachi Whites: 135-4, 17.3 overs (Khurram Manzoor 42, Shan Masood 38, Haroon Arshad 21*; Rasool Bakash 2-22)  
Player of the Match: Saqib Khan (Karachi Whites)

Monday’s fixtures:

• FATA Region vs Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore - 4:30 PM  
• Karachi Region Blues vs Quetta Region at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad - 7:00 PM  
• Multan Region vs Sialkot Region at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore - 9:00 PM  
• Lahore Region Whites vs Larkana Region at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad - 11:00 PM