Champions One-Day Cup: Panthers to face Markhors in final showdown
Second Eliminator was abandoned due to outfield, heading the Markhors to the finals
The Panthers are set to face the Markhors in the final showdown of the Champions One-Day Cup scheduled on Sunday at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
The Shadab Khan-led side advanced to the finals after defeating the Markhors in the Qualifier 1 by 7 wickets on Tuesday.
Additionally, the Panthers chased down a target in just 23.4 overs. The standout performance came from Usman Khan, who powered his side to victory with a blistering unbeaten 54 off just 26 balls, striking 5 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 207.69.
In the first innings, Panthers bowled Markhors out for 137 in 36 overs, primarily due to a superb bowling display from Mohammad Hasnain and Saim Ayub. The team struggled right from the start, losing wickets at regular intervals.
On the contrary, the second Eliminator was abandoned as the wet outfield acted as a barrier for the Lions, heading the Markhors to the finals due to their highest points tally in the League stage on Friday.
As per the tournament qualifying conditions, in case of a washout in the play-offs, the team with a higher standing at the completion of the league matches would qualify for the next stage.
According to the points table, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side topped the table with three wins, one loss and 38 points while the Shaheen Afridi-led side was placed fourth on the table with one win, three losses and 12 points.
Meanwhile, the two qualifiers have faced each other twice in the tournament.
Prior to the encounter at the Qualifier 1, their previous face-off was on September 12 where the Rizwan-led Markhors registered a 160-run victory against the Panthers.
It is worth noting that players, part of the England Test squad, will not feature in the final.
Stars like Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha will not play the game on Sunday.
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