Karachi Blues will take centre stage when the National T20 Cup Qualifier 2025-26 gets underway on Saturday at the Gaddafi Stadium, with the city’s flagship regional side targeting a return to Pakistan’s premier domestic T20 competition.
The qualifier features 10 regional teams, split into two groups of five, with only the top team from each pool earning a place in the 10-team National T20 Cup main event, scheduled for late February and March. The tournament final, contested between the two group toppers, will be played on 24 February at the same venue.
For Karachi, the spotlight will firmly be on Karachi Blues, captained by Ghazi Ghori, as the side looks to convert depth, experience and local pedigree into qualification success. The Karachi outfit will be guided by head coach Saeed bin Nasir, whose calm presence and technical input are seen as vital in a short, high-pressure tournament.
Karachi Blues have been drawn in Group A, alongside Islamabad, Quetta, Larkana and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Each team will play four group matches, with consistency crucial given there is little margin for error.
Group B features Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, FATA, Dera Murad Jamali and Bahawalpur.
All matches will be live-streamed on Tapmad in Pakistan and on the Pakistan Cricket Board YouTube channel internationally. From 14 to 23 February, fans will enjoy double-headers daily, with matches starting at 4:00pm and 8:30pm before Ramzan, and 7:00pm and 11:15pm afterwards.
Karachi Blues squad:
Karachi Blues boast a balanced squad combining seasoned domestic performers and emerging talent. Alongside captain Ghazi Ghori, the team includes Rameez Aziz, Ahsan Ali, Fahad Amin, Muhammad Taha, Syed Shah Raza and Rehman Ghani, offering both batting depth and bowling variety.
Head coach Saeed bin Nasir has stressed discipline and adaptability as key themes, particularly with all matches being played at a neutral venue in Lahore. Karachi’s campaign begins against Quetta on 14 February, followed by clashes with Larkana (16 Feb), AJK (20 Feb) and Islamabad (22 Feb).
A total of 21 matches, including the final, will be played in the qualifier. With only two qualification spots available, the competition is expected to be intense, especially for traditional powerhouses like Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
For Karachi Blues, qualification would not only secure a place in the National T20 Cup but also reinforce the city’s status as Pakistan’s deepest talent pool.
Other squads:
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Hasan Raza (captain), Adil Azad, Amir Nazir (wk), Aqib Liaqat, Arslan Mahzood, Awais Akram, Faizan Saleem, Hasnain Shamir, Husnain Nadeem, Jawad Imtiaz, Nadeem Khalil, Saad Asif, Umer Hayat, Usman Yousuf and Zaman Khan
Bahawalpur: Mohammad Imran (captain), Ali Afzal, Ali Hamza, Ali Shabbir, Faizan Zafar, Khaqan Basheer, Mohammad Sudais, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Ammar, Muhammad Azab, Muhammad Basit, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Umair and Shahid Mirani
Dera Murad Jamali: Fahad Hussain (captain), Basit Ali, Dawood Khan, Farhan Ullah, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Shahid, Nasir Khan, Rasool Baksh, Sajjad Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Saleem Mal, Shoaib Ahmed, Taimur Ali and Tariq Jameel
FATA: Asif Afridi (captain), Afaq Afridi, Azaz Khan, Khubaib Khalil, Khushdil Shah, Maaz Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Sarwar, Muhammad Waseem Khan, Rehan Afridi, Salman Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr and Sirajuddin
Hyderabad: Sharjeel Khan (captain), Akbar Khan, Asad Malik, Daniyal Rajput, Haris Khanzada, Jawad Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Meesam, Mustafa Nasir, Noman Ali, Rizwan Mehmood, Shehryar Baloch, Suleman Khan, Ubaidullah Rahupoto and Zain-ul-Abedeen
Islamabad: Umair Riaz (captain), Arsal Sheikh, Farhan Ali, Farman Ullah, Hammad Siddique, Hamza Waheed, Haris Rauf, Kaleem Dil, Rizwan Ali, Musa Khan, Naseerullah, Shahbaz Khan, Shayan Sheikh, Umair and Umar Nawaz
Larkana: Zahid Mehmood (captain), Aamir Ali Taheem, Ali Asghar, Asif Chandio, Ghulam Raza, Malhar Rasool, Mohsin Raza, Muhammad Aqeel Danish, Muhammad Huzaifa, Mushtaq Ahmed, Sabit Ali Siyal, Saqlain Nawaz Rajput, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzaib Aziz and Zahid Hussain
Quetta: Jalat Khan (captain), Abdul Hameed, Abdul Hanan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Bismillah Khan, Bohair Aman, Haseebullah, Jahangir Shah, Khalil Ahmed, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Idrees, Muhammad Junaid, Najeed Ullah, Salahuddin and Yasir Khan
Rawalpindi: Haider Ali (captain), Abdul Faseeh, Abdul Qadir, Ali Husnain, Jahandad Khan, Kashif Ali, M Faizan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Nabeel, Nasir Nawaz, Shahbaz Tabrez, Taimur Khan, Yasir Khan and Zeeshan Malik
Karachi matches
Karachi Blues vs Quetta
14 Feb – 4:00pm
Karachi Blues vs Larkana
16 Feb – 4:00pm
Karachi Blues vs AJK
20 Feb – 7:00pm
Karachi Blues vs Islamabad
22 Feb – 7:00pm
Final
24 Feb – 7:00pm
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
