Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup Playoffs Begin Today in Faisalabad
The playoff stage of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup kicks off today at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, with four top teams vying for a spot in the tournament final. UMT Markhors, Lake City Panthers, Nurpur Lions, and Allied Bank Stallions will compete in a series of crucial matches, starting at 3 PM local time.
In today’s high-stakes Qualifier, the UMT Markhors will take on Lake City Panthers. The winner of this matchup will secure a place in the final, set for 29 September. The losing team will get another chance to advance through Eliminator 2, scheduled for 27 September.
Eliminator 1 will take place on Wednesday, 25 September, featuring a contest between Nurpur Lions and Allied Bank Stallions. Despite winning only one match during the league stage, the Lions have made it to the playoffs and will be eager to turn things around in the knockout rounds.
The playoff-bound teams advanced after competing in the league phase, which ran from 12 to 22 September. UMT Markhors topped the points table with three wins out of four matches, closely followed by Lake City Panthers, who also secured three victories. Allied Bank Stallions finished third with two wins and two losses, while the Lions claimed the fourth spot.
The Engro Dolphins, finishing in fifth place, were eliminated from playoff contention after securing just one victory in their four outings.
Top Performers So Far
UMT Markhors’ Kamran Ghulam has been a standout, leading the run-scorers with 247 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 61.75, including two centuries. He is followed by Stallions’ Babar Azam, who has accumulated 230 runs at an average of 76.67 with one century to his name. Tayyab Tahir also performed well, with 221 runs at 55.25, including a century.
On the bowling side, Lake City Panthers’ pacer Mohammad Hasnain leads with 11 wickets, including a career-best List-A performance of 5-74. Stallions’ Jahandad Khan has taken 10 wickets, while Zahid Mehmood of Markhors and Shaheen Shah Afridi of Lions are tied with nine wickets each.
Captain Insights
Ahead of the Qualifier, UMT Markhors’ captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed confidence, saying, “We had a great run in the league stage, aside from one minor setback. We aim to continue our winning momentum, and I expect a tough contest against the Panthers.”
Lake City Panthers’ captain Shadab Khan emphasized his team’s resurgence after an early loss. “After our first defeat, we bounced back, and now our batters and bowlers are in great form. We look forward to a challenging match against the Markhors,” said Shadab.
Allied Bank Stallions captain Mohammad Haris referred to the upcoming Eliminator as a “do or die” match. “The competition has been intense, but we are ready for the challenge. The match against the Lions will be tough, but we’re prepared to deliver our best performance,” he said.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, captain of Nurpur Lions, spoke about the resilience of his side. “We’ve been tested throughout the league stage, and now it’s time to put that experience to use in the eliminator.”
Fans can expect an exciting series of matches as these top teams battle it out for the championship.
