Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup begins today with a double-header at Rawalpindi

Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup begins today *with a double-header at Rawalpindi,

(ASGHAR ALI MUBARAK )

The Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup, scheduled from December 7 to 25 at Rawalpindi Stadium, is set to not only crown a champion among five competitive teams but also serve as a critical platform for Pakistan’s preparations for the upcoming white-ball mega-events in 2025 and 2026, including the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC T20 World Cup.

The tournament, which features 22 matches over 19 days, including six double-headers and eight single-headers, will begin with a double-header as Imam-ul-Haq-led Nurpur Lions will take on Iftikhar Ahmed’s UMT Markhors in the first match at 11am tomorrow while in the second match Mohammad Haris’ Allied Bank Stallions will take on Shadab Khan-led Lake City Panthers at 3.30pm.

Double-header matches will begin at 11am and 3.30pm, while single-header games are set for 12pm. The tournament will be broadcast live on leading sports channels, ASports HD, Geo Super and PTV Sports while the fans can catch up on the exciting action by streaming the games on Myco and Tamasha.

Five formidable teams— ABL Stallions, Engro Dolphins, Lake City Panthers, Nurpur Lions and UMT Markhors—will compete in a double-league format, with each team playing the others twice. The top team from the league stage will advance to the 25 December final while the second and third placed teams will compete in a Qualifier, ensuring an intense battle for supremacy.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has strategically planned the Champions Cup events to provide players with high-pressure opportunities that bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket. The first event of the Champions Cup series, played in List-A format, was held successfully in Faisalabad in September, throwing some good talent.

Recognising the challenges faced by emerging talent transitioning to the international stage, the initiative aims to enhance their adaptability and readiness for global competition. The first step towards the next T20I mega event has already been taken through the induction of some new players in the T20I series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Adding to the tournament’s appeal is the mentorship of cricketing legends Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis. Their guidance is expected to hone players’ skills and instill the fearless, high-impact style of cricket that has become essential in the modern T20 game.

Tournament director Wahab Riaz is confident the event will be a launchpad for young players. “PCB has been working really hard to improve and to give a lot of exposure to young players and I think with this tournament players will learn a lot by sharing the dressing room with those who have played international cricket and under the guidance of mentors the learning will be precious.

“From here on, once they enter the international arena they don’t have to worry about the pressure and would be equipped to meet the demands,” said Wahab.

Continuing from the trend in the Champions One-Day Cup and in order to give the players quality exposure, the PCB has also paired each of the five teams with a major media house, ARY News-Allied Bank Stallions, Geo News-Engro Dolphins, Hum News-UMT Markhors, Samaa News-Nurpur Lions and Dunya News-Lake City Panthers, which will also boost the tournament’s reach to the fans.

The players and the teams will benefit from the presence of these media houses on board as they will bring the fans closer to the action and the day to day happenings of the tournament.

Packed with abundant talent and backed by seasoned mentors, the Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup promises to deliver thrilling contests while laying a strong foundation for Pakistan’s next generation of cricket stars.

The fans in Rawalpindi are known for filling the Stadium in various colours and always enjoy the game to the maximum. Ram-slam style of cricket will be warming them in the cool winter weather.

Top hitters like Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Abdul Samad and Muhammad Akhlaq et. al will be main attraction for the fans. The likes of Zaman Khan, Ubaid Shah, Musa Khan will not only stop the flow of runs but are also expected to send the stumps cartwheeling.

Squads:

ABL Stallions: Mohammad Haris (captain, wicket-keeper), Azam Khan (subject to fitness), Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shamyl Hussain, Shoaib Malik, Tahir Hussain, Taimur Khan, Ubaid Shah, Usman Tariq (subject to fitness), Yasir Khan and Zaman Khan

Reserves: Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Jahandad Khan (to join after 14 Dec), Nasir Nawaz and Shoaib Akhtar Jnr

Engro Dolphins: Faheem Ashraf (captain), Asif Ali, Kashif Ali, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mohammad Suleman, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Saqib Khan, Shayan Sheikh and Umar Amin

Reserves: Ihsanullah, Salman Khan Afridi, Waqar Ahmed

Lake City Panthers: Shadab Khan (captain), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ahmed Bashir, Amad Butt, Danish Aziz, Haider Ali, Irfanullah Shah, Mohammad Ibtisam, Mohammad Umar (subject to fitness), Mubasir Khan, Rehan Afridi, Rizwan Mehmood, Sajid Khan, Sharjeel Khan (subject to fitness), Umar Siddiq (wicket-keeper) and Usama Mir

Reserves: Ali Asfand, Aqib Liaqat, Azan Awais, Mohammad Zeeshan and Yousuf Babar (stand-by for Sharjeel Khan)

Nurpur Lions: Imam-ul-Haq (captain), Aamer Yamin, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Shahab Khan, Shahid Aziz, Sharoon Siraj and Zeeshan Malik

Reserves: Afaq Afridi, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Mohammad Faiq and Sajjad Ali Hashmi

UMT Markhors: Iftikhar Ahmed (captain), Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, Bilawal Bhatti, Bismillah Khan (wicket-keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Muhammad Shehzad, Nisar Ahmed, Saad Masood and Zahid Mehmood

Reserves: Ali Usman, Ali Shafique, Ali Shan and Niaz Khan