Shahnawaz Dahani stars as Karachi Whites defend 156 to win National T20 Cup

Karachi Whites have won the National T20 Cup 2023-24 after beating Abbottabad region by nine runs on Sunday at National Bank Stadium, Karachi

The bowlers defended the target brilliantly with Shahnawaz Dahani bagging three wickets for 16 runs in his four-over spell.

Atizaz Habib Khan (43* off 26) and Fayyaz Khan (23 off 9) tried to push for victory with brisk knocks at the backend but they fell short as Abbottabad finished on total of 146/9.

Apart from Dahani's brilliance with the ball, Anwar Ali, Danish Aziz and Aftab Ibrahim also took two wickets each.

Earlier, Asad Shafiq-led Karachi posted a target of 155/9 after opting to bat first.

Opening batter Khurram Manzoor set the tone for Sindh's innings with a brisk 53 off 36 deliveries, displaying an aggressive intent. His innings, supported by Omair Yousuf's 36 off 30 balls and contributions from Azam Khan (14 off 8) and Danish Aziz (22 off 12), bolstered Sindh's total.

Abbottabad bowlers, led by Shahab Khan and Adil Naz, maintained pressure throughout the innings. Shahab and Adil claimed crucial wickets, with Shahab accounting for four dismissals while Adil claimed two key scalps. Fayyaz Khan also took two wickets.

While chasing, Abbottabad's top order faced early setbacks with key batters such as Sajjad Ali (1), Fakhar Zaman (19), and Kamran Ghulam (12) departing relatively early in the innings.

The middle order made little contributions as they didn't stay long in the middle but it was not enough.

The bowling attack from their opponents, spearheaded by Dahani, kept the pressure high, claiming crucial wickets at key moments while defending.

Karachi Whites (formerly Karachi Dolphins) have finished as runner-up in the National T20 Cup on six occasions but on the seventh occasion, they won, earning their first-ever domestic T20 tournament.