Fakhar's ton guides PCB Greens to victory in Champions Cup

A masterclass from left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman illuminated the opening day of the National Champions Cup 2026-2027 as PCB Greens successfully tracked down a 277-run target to defeat PCB Whites by five wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Fakhar’s spectacular 123 off 104 balls, blitzing 18 boundaries and two towering sixes, anchored the run chase. Reaching his 20th List A century in just 76 deliveries, it marked the second fastest ton of his career, falling just short of his memorable 63-ball demolition against New Zealand during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.

With this century, Fakhar became only the sixth Pakistani batsman to achieve 20 or more List A hundreds. He joins an elite club featuring Babar Azam (31), Khurram Manzoor (27), Saeed Anwar (26), Salman Butt (24) and Kamran Akmal (21).

PCB Greens laid a solid foundation with a 90-run opening stand between Fakhar and Sameer Minhas (24) in 14 overs. Though Khushdil Shah provided the breakthrough by bowling Minhas, Fakhar remained unbothered. He brought up his half-century in 39 balls and needed just another 37 deliveries to complete his hundred, reaching the milestone with a boundary and a double off Ali Raza in the 21st over.

Fakhar added 67 for the second wicket with Omair bin Yousuf (8) before his rampaging innings was finally ended by Shahnawaz Dahani in the 29th over. Following his departure, debutant Farhan Yousuf made a memorable first impression, hitting Dahani for three successive boundaries in the 33rd over during his crucial 38-run cameo. Saad Baig contributed 22 before skipper Shadab Khan (34*) and Faheem Ashraf (11*) calmed nerves to steer the Greens across the finish line with an over to spare.

Earlier, after being put in to bat, Pakistan Whites posted a competitive 276-8 in their allotted 50 overs, driven by half-centuries from Shahzaib Khan, Hasan Nawaz, and Khushdil Shah.

Whites suffered early blows when skipper Saim Ayub was run out for 14 by a sharp throw from Farhan, and Mohsin Riaz fell cheaply to Mohammad Salman Mirza. However, opener Shahzaib top-scored with a resilient 76 off 88 balls, anchoring a 78-run third-wicket partnership with Usman Khan (34).

Hasan Nawaz (56) and Khushdil Shah (51) later combined for a 77-run fifth-wicket stand. At 200-4 in the 40th over, Whites seemed locked in for a 300-plus total. However, a spirited comeback by the Greens' pace attack derailed the innings, as the Whites collapsed to lose four wickets for just 35 runs in the final 40 balls.

Naseem Shah was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-46 after clean-bowling Shahzaib and removing Khushdil. Faheem Ashraf offered excellent support, snapping up 2-35 in his seven overs, while Saad Masood chipped in with a tight 2-30.

Ultimately, the total proved insufficient against a Fakhar-inspired Greens lineup, who walked away with full points on opening day.

Summarised scores

Pakistan Whites: 276-8 in 50 overs (Shahzaib Khan 76, Hasan Nawaz 56, Khushdil Shah 51; Naseem Shah 3-46, Faheem Ashraf 2-35)

Pakistan Greens: 277-5 in 49 overs (Fakhar Zaman 123, Farhan Yousuf 38, Shadab Khan 34*; Saad Masood 2-30)

Result: Pakistan Greens won by five wickets.

Player of the Match: Fakhar Zaman (PCB Greens)