Abbottabad Secures Semi-Final Spot in National T20 Cup

Abbottabad secured a place in the semi-finals of the National T20 Cup 2026 after a dominant eight-wicket victory over Lahore Blues in the 19th match at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium.

The win marked Abbottabad’s third in the tournament and lifted them to six points from four matches, allowing them to edge past Sialkot and Multan, who both have four points each.

Abbottabad became the third team to qualify for the semi-finals, joining Karachi Whites and Lahore Whites. The final semi-final spot will be decided after the last league-stage fixture between Sialkot and Multan.

Lahore Blues captain Umar Siddiq’s decision to bat first backfired as his side was bowled out for just 86 in 14.3 overs, the lowest total in the tournament’s history.

Wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor top-scored with 18 off eight balls, while Ali Razza made 14, Siddiq contributed 11, and Abdullah Asif and Hunain Shah added 10 each.

Shadab Khan led Abbottabad’s bowling attack with an economical spell of 3 for 10 in four overs. He was supported by Shahab Khan and Arshad Iqbal, who claimed two wickets each, while Khalid Usman, Fayyaz Khan, and Razaullah took one apiece.

In response, Abbottabad comfortably chased down the 87-run target for the loss of two wickets with 70 balls to spare.

Kamran Ghulam led the run chase with an unbeaten 46 off 23 deliveries, hitting four sixes and three fours. He was supported by opener Shahzaib Khan, who scored 32 off 19 balls, including five fours and a six.

The pair shared a 57-run partnership for the second wicket, recovering the innings after captain Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for zero on just the second delivery.

For Lahore Blues, Mohammad Salman and Asadullah took one wicket each.