Sialkot and Multan secured their spots in the quarter-finals of the National T20 Cup after winning their final group matches at Iqbal Stadium on Thursday.
Sialkot, led by Shoaib Malik, finished at the top of Group D with six points from three matches, while Multan followed with four points from four matches.
In the 27th match of the tournament, Multan dominated FATA with a 74-run victory, thanks to an all-round performance by Arafat Minhas. Batting first, Multan posted 167/7, with captain Zain Abbas scoring a steady 51 off 41 balls. Minhas played a quick cameo, hitting three fours and two sixes in his 18-ball 37.
FATA's bowling attack was led by Sameen Gul and Asif Ali, who took two wickets each, while Mohammad Naeem and Azaz Khan claimed one wicket each.
Chasing 168, FATA's batting collapsed, managing only 93 runs in 17.2 overs. Salman Khan top-scored with 22 off 22 balls, while captain Rehan Afridi and Shahid Aziz contributed 14 runs each.
For Multan, Minhas, Sharooj Siraj, and Ali Majid picked up two wickets each, while Muhammad Shahzad, Faisal Akram, and Waseem Akram took one wicket each.
In the 28th match, Sialkot cruised to an eight-wicket win over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), led by Usama Mir's brilliant bowling and Mirza Baig's explosive batting. AJK, batting first, posted 137/6 despite a strong opening stand between Hasan Raza and Hasnain Nadeem. The pair added 65 runs before quick dismissals triggered a collapse. Nadeem scored 43 off 40 balls, while Raza made 39 from 42 deliveries. Usama Mir and Hasan Ali starred with the ball for Sialkot, taking three wickets each. Mir was particularly impressive, conceding only 13 runs in his four overs.
Chasing 138, Sialkot comfortably reached the target with 33 balls to spare. Mirza Baig led the charge with a blistering 76 off 44 balls, smashing seven fours and four sixes. He was supported by Muhammad Hurraira, who scored 30, and Mohsin Riaz, who made 25 off 12 balls.
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