Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup Playoffs Kick Off Tomorrow – PCB
Faisalabad, 23 September 2024: The playoff stage of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup is set to begin tomorrow, featuring the Qualifier, Eliminator 1 & 2, and the final. The UMT Markhors will face off against the Lake City Panthers in the Qualifier, with the winner securing a direct spot in the final. The Markhors previously defeated the Panthers by a massive 160 runs in the tournament opener.
The losing team from the Qualifier will play the winner of Wednesday’s Eliminator 1, scheduled for 25 September, in Eliminator 2 on 27 September.
The Eliminator 1 clash will see the Allied Bank Stallions go up against the Nurpur Lions. These four teams—Markhors, Panthers, Stallions, and Lions—secured the top four spots on the points table following the 10-match league round, held from 12 to 22 September at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Meanwhile, the Engro Dolphins finished last, winning just one of their four matches.
The Markhors and Panthers each won three out of their four league matches, while the Stallions claimed two wins and the Lions managed only one victory.
Top performers in the tournament so far include the Markhors’ Kamran Ghulam, who leads the batting charts with 247 runs at an average of 61.75, including two centuries. Stallions’ Babar Azam (230 runs at an average of 76.67) and Tayyab Tahir (221 runs at an average of 55.25) follow closely, each with a century.
In the bowling department, Panthers’ pacer Mohammad Hasnain leads with 11 wickets, including his best List-A figures of 5-74, while Jahandad Khan from the Stallions follows with 10 wickets. Zahid Mehmood (Markhors) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lions) are tied for third place with nine wickets each.
Playoff Stage Schedule:
24 September – Qualifier: UMT Markhors vs Lake City Panthers, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad at 3pm (local time)
25 September – Eliminator 1: Allied Bank Stallions vs Nurpur Lions, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad at 3pm (local time)
27 September – Eliminator 2: Loser of Qualifier vs Winner of Eliminator 1, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad at 3pm (local time)
29 September – Final: Winner of Qualifier vs Winner of Eliminator 2, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad at 3pm (local time)