Faisalabad – The Panthers, captained by Shadab Khan, clinched a commanding 7-wicket victory over the Markhors in Qualifier 1 of the Champions One-Day Cup, successfully chasing down a target of 138 runs in just 23.4 overs at Iqbal Stadium on Tuesday.
Usman Khan delivered a standout performance, scoring an explosive unbeaten 54 off only 26 balls, which included 5 fours and 4 sixes, at a remarkable strike rate of 207.69. His aggressive innings was pivotal in steering the Panthers to victory. Saim Ayub also contributed to the strong start, providing a solid foundation at the top of the order with 33 runs from 36 balls before being dismissed lbw by Zahid Mahmood. Azan Awais managed 13 runs before being caught by Salman Ali Agha off the bowling of Akif Javed.
Umar Siddiq added 35 runs from 52 balls, maintaining stability in the innings before being caught by Iftikhar Ahmed off Salman. Following Siddiq's dismissal, Usman Khan took charge, guiding the Panthers home with ease, while Rizwan Mehmood supported him with an unbeaten 5 runs.
Earlier, the Panthers showcased an impressive bowling performance, bowling the Markhors out for a mere 137 runs in 36 overs. Mohammad Hasnain and Saim Ayub were the architects of Markhors' downfall, taking 3 and 5 wickets, respectively.
Markhors' innings started poorly, losing Haseebullah Khan for just 3 runs, caught behind by Usman off Ali Raza’s bowling in the second over. The team struggled to recover as Fakhar Zaman followed shortly after, scoring only 11 runs before being dismissed by Hasnain, again caught behind. Captain Mohammad Rizwan faced just one delivery and was dismissed for a duck, leaving Markhors in a dire position at 10 for 3.
Salman managed to stabilize the innings with a gritty 52 runs off 81 balls, hitting four boundaries and one six. However, his dismissal, caught by Shadab Khan off Ayub’s bowling, signaled the beginning of the end for Markhors. Iftikhar Ahmed added 39 runs from 61 balls before being run out by Amad Butt. The team continued to falter, with Abdul Samad (2), Naseem Shah (14), and Zahid Mahmood (5) all falling cheaply to Ayub, who finished with impressive figures of 5 for 32.
With this victory, the Panthers have secured their place in the Champions One-Day Cup final and will now await the outcome of the match between the Lions and Stallions on September 27, where they will face the winner.
