The playoff stage of the Champions One-Day Cup kicks off on Tuesday, with the Markhors set to clash with the Panthers in the highly anticipated Qualifier. In their previous encounter during the league round, the Markhors secured a decisive victory, winning by a remarkable 160 runs.
The winner of the Qualifier will earn a spot in the final, while the losing team will face the victor of Wednesday’s Eliminator 1, which features the Allied Bank Stallions and the Lions. The Stallions finished third, and the Lions fourth in the points table after the 10-match league round held from September 12 to 22 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The Dolphins ended the tournament in fifth place, managing just one win in four matches.
Both the Markhors and Panthers ended the league stage with three wins out of four matches. The Stallions had a mixed performance with two wins and two losses, while the Lions secured only one victory.
Top performers include Kamran Ghulam of the Markhors, who leads the batting charts with 247 runs at an impressive average of 61.75, including two centuries. Following him are Babar Azam (Stallions) with 230 runs (average 76.67) and Tayyab Tahir (221 runs, average 55.25), each with one century.
On the bowling side, Mohammad Hasnain from the Panthers stands out with 11 wickets, including a career-best List-A figure of 5-74. Jahandad Khan of the Stallions follows closely with 10 wickets, while Zahid Mehmood (Markhors) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lions) are tied for third with nine wickets each.
