Multan Region booked their place in the National T20 Cup semi-finals with a seven-run victory over Karachi Region Whites in a tense second quarter-final at Iqbal Stadium on Sunday night.
Batting first, Multan posted 155/9 in 20 overs, driven by Zeeshan Ashraf’s 60 off 34 balls. The left-hander struck nine fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 176.47, setting the platform despite an early setback.
Captain Zain Abbas fell for nine off 11, dismissed by Mir Hamza, while Uzair Mumtaz (3 off 8) was run out by Haroon Arshad.
Muhammad Shahzad added 36 off 25, and Hamayun Altaf chipped in with 19 off 16, but Karachi Whites’ bowlers fought back in the later stages. Haroon Arshad (2/21) and Saud Shakeel (2/26) kept the pressure on, while Danish Aziz, Arif Yaqoob, Mir Hamza, and Mohammad Taha took a wicket each.
In pursuit of 156, Karachi Whites suffered early setbacks as captain Saud Shakeel was dismissed for a duck. Shan Masood (3 off 9) and Khurram Manzoor (12 off 17) followed, reducing Karachi to 18/3 inside the powerplay.
Haroon Arshad led the recovery with 42 off 29 balls, including four boundaries and a six. He partnered with Mohammad Taha (36 off 30) in a 79-run stand, keeping Karachi in contention before both departed in quick succession.
Saad Baig’s 25 off 19 and Muhammad Umar’s late six off two balls pushed Karachi to 148/8, falling short by seven runs.
Mohammad Ismail starred with the ball for Multan, taking 3/30, while Faisal Akram bagged 2/25. Arafat Minhas, Ali Majid, and Wasim Akram Jr. claimed one wicket each, sealing Multan’s semi-final berth.
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