205/2 (20.0)
CR : 10.25
203/6 (20.0)
CR : 10.15
Abbottabad Region won by 8 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Kamran Ghulam
95(48)
Over 20
Abbottabad Region 205/2
Khushdil Shah30(17)
Kamran Ghulam95(48)
Hasan Hafeez1-40(4.0)
ABT won by 8 wickets
9:01 PM IST, 8:31 PM LOCAL TIME: In cricket, sometimes the last ball writes the loudest sentence… and tonight it screamed SIX. What a finish. What a contest. Abbottabad Region chased down 204 to win by 8 wickets, finishing at 205/2 against Multan Region on the very last delivery. Multan had earlier posted a commanding 203/6, but the chase turned into a roller-coaster. Abbottabad lost early wickets, rebuilt strongly through Ghulam, and then exploded at the death. And the ending? Absolute cinema. A no-ball on 19.6 changed everything… and Khushdil Shah smashed the final ball for six to seal a dramatic win.
Was there any doubt when Kamran Ghulam walked in? Perhaps not. After Sajjad Ali Hashmi fell for 17 in the 5th over, the stage was set. Abbottabad finished their Powerplay at 55/1, keeping the required rate within sight. Ghulam and Shahzaib Khan then anchored the ship beautifully. They realized that slow and steady loses the race here. They shifted gears. The duo put on a massive 79-run stand for the second wicket. Shahzaib played the perfect foil with a solid 52 off 42 balls.
Could Multan find a breakthrough in the middle? They did, eventually. Hasan Hafeez dismissed Shahzaib in the 14th over with the score at 124. But then came the Khushdil Shah storm. Alongside Ghulam, he added an unbeaten 81 runs in just 39 balls. At the drinks break, the tension was palpable. Ghulam was hitting sixes for fun - 7 of them to be precise! He finished on a staggering 95* off 48 balls. Just five runs short of a ton, but he won a thousand hearts.
What happened in the final over? Pure, unadulterated drama. Seven runs were needed off the final delivery. Hafeez’s heart was racing. Then came the dreaded whistle - a NO BALL for a high full toss! The equation changed. The pressure shifted. Khushdil Shah didn't need a second invitation. He cleared the ropes with a massive six on the Free-hit. Game over. Abbottabad reached 205/2 on the last delivery. A "full-toss" of emotions for the Multan fans indeed!
Earlier, Multan Region won the toss and elected to bat first. They started with a stutter. Mohammad Naeem fell for 10. Skipper Imam-ul-Haq followed shortly for just 1. At 16/2 in the 3rd over, they were reeling. But Moheer Saeed decided to counter-attack. He smoked 76 off 41 balls. His partnership of 113 runs with Bismillah Khan (45) rescued the innings. By the time the Powerplay ended, they had recovered significantly. They were looking at a 200-plus total.
How did the middle and death overs go for Multan? It was a roller coaster. Shadab Khan was the man with the golden arm, picking up 3 for 35. He broke the big Moheer-Bismillah stand. However, Muhammad Shahzad provided the late fireworks. He hammered 54 off just 25 balls. His strike rate of 216 was the adrenaline shot Multan needed. They finished on 203/6. It looked like a daunting total. Little did they know about the Ghulam-Khushdil masterclass waiting in the wings.
Was there any doubt when Kamran Ghulam walked in? Perhaps not. After Sajjad Ali Hashmi fell for 17 in the 5th over, the stage was set. Abbottabad finished their Powerplay at 55/1, keeping the required rate within sight. Ghulam and Shahzaib Khan then anchored the ship beautifully. They realized that slow and steady loses the race here. They shifted gears. The duo put on a massive 79-run stand for the second wicket. Shahzaib played the perfect foil with a solid 52 off 42 balls.
Could Multan find a breakthrough in the middle? They did, eventually. Hasan Hafeez dismissed Shahzaib in the 14th over with the score at 124. But then came the Khushdil Shah storm. Alongside Ghulam, he added an unbeaten 81 runs in just 39 balls. At the drinks break, the tension was palpable. Ghulam was hitting sixes for fun - 7 of them to be precise! He finished on a staggering 95* off 48 balls. Just five runs short of a ton, but he won a thousand hearts.
What happened in the final over? Pure, unadulterated drama. Seven runs were needed off the final delivery. Hafeez’s heart was racing. Then came the dreaded whistle - a NO BALL for a high full toss! The equation changed. The pressure shifted. Khushdil Shah didn't need a second invitation. He cleared the ropes with a massive six on the Free-hit. Game over. Abbottabad reached 205/2 on the last delivery. A "full-toss" of emotions for the Multan fans indeed!
Earlier, Multan Region won the toss and elected to bat first. They started with a stutter. Mohammad Naeem fell for 10. Skipper Imam-ul-Haq followed shortly for just 1. At 16/2 in the 3rd over, they were reeling. But Moheer Saeed decided to counter-attack. He smoked 76 off 41 balls. His partnership of 113 runs with Bismillah Khan (45) rescued the innings. By the time the Powerplay ended, they had recovered significantly. They were looking at a 200-plus total.
How did the middle and death overs go for Multan? It was a roller coaster. Shadab Khan was the man with the golden arm, picking up 3 for 35. He broke the big Moheer-Bismillah stand. However, Muhammad Shahzad provided the late fireworks. He hammered 54 off just 25 balls. His strike rate of 216 was the adrenaline shot Multan needed. They finished on 203/6. It looked like a daunting total. Little did they know about the Ghulam-Khushdil masterclass waiting in the wings.
Time for the post-match presentations.
Player of the Match: Kamran Ghulam
Kamran Ghulam (Player of the Match): "(Was the belief always there?) The belief was there. I saw last games and saw that chase was easy. I had a chat with Khushdil and we planned to chase it comfortably.
(What were the plans?) Aamir Yamin bowled really well and runs were hard to come then. But the belief was there to chase it. Whenever this sort of a victory comes early in the tournament, it helps a team with a lot of confidence."
(What were the plans?) Aamir Yamin bowled really well and runs were hard to come then. But the belief was there to chase it. Whenever this sort of a victory comes early in the tournament, it helps a team with a lot of confidence."
Imam-ul-Haq (Multan Region Captain): (On the disappointment after scoring runs but not getting support from bowling and fielding) “I can understand the feeling. It’s tough when you put runs on the board, and then the bowling and fielding don’t support you. Obviously, we are disappointed - there’s no doubt about that.
(On his decision while batting, knowing the bowling situation) I had an idea about our bowling, which is why we were talking in the morning, and I batted the way I did. When you come into tournaments like this, you want to back your bowlers.
(On the fielding mistakes in the match) I’m obviously disappointed with the fielding. If those two catches had been taken and those last two balls had been handled better, the result could have been different.
(On close finishes in the tournament) In this tournament, we’ve had back-to-back matches going to the last over. Even in the Champions Cup, there were matches like this. For the boys at this level, it’s all a learning experience. We don’t have much time. There are only two or three matches, so we need better bowling and better execution.
(On the message to the team going forward) I don’t think there’s much need to say anything. Realisation is important. The players know where we made mistakes. There isn’t much time. There’s only a one-day gap, so you come back and put your heart into the next game.”
(On his decision while batting, knowing the bowling situation) I had an idea about our bowling, which is why we were talking in the morning, and I batted the way I did. When you come into tournaments like this, you want to back your bowlers.
(On the fielding mistakes in the match) I’m obviously disappointed with the fielding. If those two catches had been taken and those last two balls had been handled better, the result could have been different.
(On close finishes in the tournament) In this tournament, we’ve had back-to-back matches going to the last over. Even in the Champions Cup, there were matches like this. For the boys at this level, it’s all a learning experience. We don’t have much time. There are only two or three matches, so we need better bowling and better execution.
(On the message to the team going forward) I don’t think there’s much need to say anything. Realisation is important. The players know where we made mistakes. There isn’t much time. There’s only a one-day gap, so you come back and put your heart into the next game.”
Khalid Usman (Abbottabad Region Captain): "(How good was the match?) Definitely a sensational match. It finished in the last ball. I think it went away from our hand at a stage but the way we made the comeback was great.
(On the lapses) Yes we dropped a few catches and that allowed them to post 200 runs on the board. We have to do well in the death overs so that we can do better. Definitely we will talk about it in the dressing room."
(On the lapses) Yes we dropped a few catches and that allowed them to post 200 runs on the board. We have to do well in the death overs so that we can do better. Definitely we will talk about it in the dressing room."
What a thrilling contest, and Ghulam fought well, but in the end, failed to score a hundred. Nevertheless, cricket is a great leveler - the individual milestone was lost, but the team's glory was found. Multan had the runs. Abbottabad had the resolve. In this high-scoring thriller, the bowlers found no place to hide, with economy rates hovering near 10. A frantic finish, a no-ball nightmare, and a Khushdil special. That’s all from our side for this absolute humdinger.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Saptak Sanyal, and scorer Zeeshan Naiyer. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there is one more match scheduled in the Pakistan National T20 Cup. So switch tabs and follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Saptak Sanyal, and scorer Zeeshan Naiyer. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there is one more match scheduled in the Pakistan National T20 Cup. So switch tabs and follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!