Karachi Whites secured a place in the semi-finals of the National T20 Cup after a strong run in Group A, highlighted by victories over Faisalabad Region and Bahawalpur Region, before rain disrupted their final group fixture in Peshawar.
The Karachi side finished the group stage with six points and will now face the second-placed team from Group B in the semi-final at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
They opened the round with a convincing eight-wicket win over Faisalabad in a high-scoring encounter.
Batting first, Faisalabad posted 171-7 in 20 overs, thanks to a superb unbeaten 83 from 53 balls by Awais Zafar and 38 off 23 deliveries from Irfan Niazi.
Karachi’s bowling effort was led by Muhammad Umar and Sami Ayub, who both returned figures of 2-30 from their four overs.
Karachi’s reply was driven by an outstanding unbeaten 76 off 51 balls from Abdullah Fazal, while Khawaja Nafay accelerated the chase with 48 not out from just 20 balls.
The pair guided Karachi Whites to 172-2 in 17.1 overs, sealing a comfortable victory. For Faisalabad, Zaman Khan and Zeeshan Zamir picked up one wicket each.
Karachi followed up with another victory, defeating Bahawalpur by 12 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-interrupted contest.
Bahawalpur posted a competitive 185-8 in 20 overs, led by 59 off 35 balls from Imran Randhawa and 48 from 33 by Faizan Zafar.
For Karachi, Muhammad Umar impressed again with 3-27, while Saim Ayub contributed with the ball, taking 2-43.
In reply, Saim Ayub struck a quick 53 from 33 deliveries, while Abdullah Fazal added 25 off 21 before rain halted play, leaving Karachi Whites ahead on the D/L method.
Rain halts final group match
Karachi Whites’ final Group A match against Peshawar Region was called off due to rain, with both teams sharing a point.
The weather also forced the abandonment of the other Group A fixture between Lahore Whites and Karachi Whites earlier in the round at the same venue.
Despite the disruptions, Karachi Whites finished the group stage strongly and secured a place in the National T20 Cup semi-finals, alongside Lahore Whites.
The remaining semi-finalists in the National T20 Cup 2026 will be decided in Group B matches on Monday.
Abbottabad Region will face Lahore Blues, while Sialkot Region take on Multan Region.
With Karachi Whites already through, the city’s cricket fans will now look ahead to the semi-final clash in Peshawar as the team aims to continue its impressive National T20 Cup campaign.
