LAHORE: Abbottabad clinched the National T20 Cup 2026 title by defeating Karachi Whites by nine wickets in a low-scoring final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
The final was scheduled to be played at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar on March 19, but continued rain and a waterlogged ground led to the postponement and the match was later shifted to a new venue.
Chasing a modest target of 119, Abbottabad easily reached the target in 13.5 overs as opener Shahzaib Khan smashed an unbeaten half-century.
Abbottabad lost just one wicket during the chase when opener Afaq Khan hit a boundary off 17 balls to depart for 13 runs.
Shahzaib was unbeaten on 54 off 41 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes while Kamran Ghulam provided valuable support with an unbeaten 45 off 26 balls including 3 fours and 3 sixes.
Earlier, Karachi Whites were bowled out for 118 runs in 18.3 overs as Abbottabad’s bowlers put in a decent performance throughout the innings.
Karachi’s batting line-up endured a disappointing outing, collapsing under pressure as wickets fell at regular intervals. Only one batsman managed to score more than 20 runs, highlighting the side’s inability to build partnerships and produce substantial innings.
Tail-ender Saqib Khan scored 22 runs off 22 balls with 2 fours and a six. Opener and captain South Shakeel scored 17 runs off 18 balls including 2 fours before falling to Shahab Khan.
Abdullah Fazal’s stay at the crease was short-lived as Arshad Iqbal was clean bowled for 6 off four balls after hitting a boundary.
Karachi continued to lose wickets as Mohammad Wasim and Arshad were dismissed in quick succession. Haroon Arshad and Shaun Masood were dismissed for 13 and 16 runs respectively, while Saifullah Bangash was dismissed by Razaullah for just 6 runs.
Arshad got his third wicket when Khawaja Nafe was dismissed for 10 runs off 14 balls, including a boundary. Abbottabad skipper Shadab Khan then joined the attack and made an immediate impact, dismissing Danish Aziz for 6 off 14 balls.
Razaullah again dismissed Muhammad Umar for 3, while Shadab ended Saqib’s fightback to pick up his second wicket.
Shahab Khan ended the innings by dismissing Abrar Ahmed for seven, sealing a dominant bowling spell and setting up Abbottabad’s title-clinching victory.