LAHORE  -  The Panthers stormed to victory in the Champions One-Day Cup final on Sunday, thrashing the Markhors by seven wickets. Mohammad Hasnain and Arafat Minhas starred with the ball, each taking three wickets, while Abdul Wahid Bangalzai’s crucial 41-run knock helped secure the title. Chasing a modest target of 123, Panthers captain Shadab Khan sealed the win in emphatic fashion, smashing a six off Shahnawaz Dahani in the 18th over. The chase began on a solid note, with openers Umar Siddiq and Bangalzai putting together a 51-run stand. However, Dahani broke the partnership, clean bowling Umar after a quick 19 off 21 balls. Sajid Khan, promoted to number three, contributed 15 off 13 before being dismissed by Akif Javed. Akif struck again in his next over, removing Usman Khan for 13 off eight balls. Despite the quick wickets, Bangalzai held firm with a composed 41 before Mohammad Imran dismissed him and Haider Ali in the same over. Rizwan Mehmood (16*) and Shadab (14* off nine balls) comfortably guided the Panthers to victory with 18 overs to spare. For the Markhors, Akif and Imran each claimed two wickets, while Dahani picked up one. Earlier, Markhors’ decision to bat first backfired as they were bowled out for just 122. Mohammad Hasnain struck early, removing Zain Abbas in the second over. The in-form Kamran Ghulam, the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, fell cheaply for 2, undone by young pacer Ali Raza. Fakhar Zaman and Haseebullah Khan offered some resistance with a 56-run stand for the third wicket. Haseebullah struggled to find fluency, scoring a labored 27 off 48 balls before being bowled by Sajid Khan. Fakhar top-scored with 46 off 49, laced with five boundaries and a six, but he too fell to Sajid in the next over. A dramatic collapse followed, with the Markhors losing their last six wickets for just 38 runs. Arafat Minhas produced a brilliant spell, taking 3-1, while Hasnain finished with 3-38. Sajid Khan bagged two key wickets, and Ali Raza, along with Shadab Khan, chipped in with one each. The Panthers’ dominant all-round display ensured their triumph in the inaugural season of the Champions One-Day Cup.

Scores in Brief

PANTHERS 123-5 in 18 overs (Bangalzai 41, Rizwan 16*, Shadab 14*, Akif 2-26, Imran 2-30) beat MARKHORS 122 all out (Fakhar 46, Haseebullah 27, Hasnain 3-38, Minhas 3-1, Sajid 2-24) by 7 wickets.