National Champions Cup 2026 trophy unveiled in Multan
National Champions Cup 2026 begins August 11 with four teams competing in Multan
MULTAN: The trophy for the National Champions Cup 2026–27 was unveiled on Monday as the four participating teams prepare to begin the tournament at Multan Cricket Stadium on August 11.
The trophy was unveiled in the presence of the captains of the four sides, who will lead their teams in the domestic competition marking the start of Pakistan’s 2026–27 domestic cricket season.
Featuring a tall silver design with a polished metallic finish, the trophy has a distinctive globe-shaped top and stands on a black base bearing the National Champions Cup logo and the title ‘National Champions Cup 2026–27’.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Greens captain Shadab Khan was unavailable for the trophy shoot and pre-tournament press conference due to fever and was replaced by Faheem Ashraf.
The competition will run from August 11 to 18, with Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold competing in a single round-robin format.
The top two teams in the standings will qualify for the final, which is scheduled to be played on August 18. The four sides will be captained by Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, respectively.
All matches will be played as day-night fixtures at Multan Cricket Stadium, with each game scheduled to begin at 3pm local time.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also introduced fixed playing XIs for each team, alongside a 13-player reserve pool. Reserve players will only be permitted to replace players who suffer an injury or concussion during the tournament.
The 44-player squads and reserve pool have been selected as part of Pakistan’s preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, giving the national selectors an opportunity to assess established players and emerging talent ahead of the global tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Squads
Pakistan Greens
Playing XI: Shadab Khan (c), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousuf, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saad Baig (wk) and Sameer Minhas.
Pakistan Whites
Playing XI: Saim Ayub (c), Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan (wk).
Pakistan Blues
Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Rohail Nazir (wk), Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim and Taimur Khan (wk).
Pakistan Gold
Playing XI: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Muhammad Imran and Saad Khan.
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