Lahore Blues Clinch National T20 Cup Title with Commanding Victory

Hussain Talat-led Lahore Region Blues put on a dominant performance to crush Peshawar Region by nine wickets in the final of the National T20 Cup 2024-25 at Iqbal Stadium on Thursday night.

With this triumph, Lahore Blues pocketed PKR 5 million from the PKR 9.4 million prize pool, while Peshawar settled for PKR 2.5 million as the runners-up.

Chasing a modest 111-run target, Lahore Blues romped home with 24 balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 64 off 46 balls from opener Umar Siddiq. His fluent innings, featuring six fours and two sixes, ensured a smooth chase.

Umar was involved in a 45-run opening stand with Imran Butt before stitching an unbeaten 66-run partnership with Junaid Ali (30 off 30, three fours) to guide his side to a comprehensive win.

Earlier, Lahore Blues’ bowlers kept Peshawar in check, restricting them to a modest 110-9 in 20 overs. Iftikhar Ahmed (34 off 33, two fours) and Mohammad Zulkifal (32 off 29, four fours, one six) were the only notable contributors.

The standout performer with the ball was Mohammad Salman Mirza, who bagged 4-21 in four overs to claim the Player of the Match award. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Irfan also impressed with figures of 2-20 (4 overs), while Qasim Akram, Nisar Ahmed, and Mohammad Rizwan chipped in with a wicket each.

Individual Awards & Performances

Player of the Match – Mohammad Salman Mirza (Lahore Blues) – 4-21 (4 overs)

Player of the Tournament & Best Batter – Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar) – 605 runs in seven matches

Best Bowler of the Tournament – Hasan Ali (Sialkot) – 13 wickets in four matches

Best Wicketkeeper of the Tournament – Muhammad Akhlaq (Lahore Whites) – Six dismissals & 114 runs

Scores in Brief:

Final – Lahore Region Blues beat Peshawar Region by nine wickets at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Peshawar Region: 110-9, 20 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 34, Mohammad Zulkifal 32; Mohammad Salman Mirza 4-21, Mohammad Irfan 2-20)

Lahore Region Blues: 111-1, 16 overs (Umar Siddiq 64 not out, Junaid Ali 30 not out; Usman Tariq 1-20)

Champions: Lahore Region Blues