Markhors face Panthers in Champions Cup final today

LAHORE: UMT Markhors will face Lake City Panthers in the final of inaugural Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup 2024 at Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad on Sunday.

The final, set to begin at 3pm, Faisalabad, will be the third occasion in this tournament where these two teams will face each other with both having won one game each previously. In the tournament opener on September 12, the Markhors got the better of Panthers with a 160-run win while the Panthers defeated Markhors in the qualifier by seven wickets to reach the final.

Markhors on the other hand advanced to the final based on their top standing in the league stage after their eliminator clash against the Nurpur Lions was called off without a ball being bowled.

In total the Panthers have so far played five matches in the tournament winning four and losing just one while the Markhors have played six games reaping three wins, two losses while their last game was a washout.

Markhors and Panthers have both seen changes in their squads after the Pakistan’s Test squad for the England series was announced. In the Markhors squad Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha have been replaced by Bismillah Khan, Niaz Khan and Zain Abbas.

Danish Aziz and Sajid Khan have replaced Mubasir Khan and Saim Ayub in the Panthers squad. While Saim was named in the Test squad, the all-rounder Mubasir was ruled out due to a thumb fracture. Regarding final of the event UMT Markhors Captain Iftikhar Ahmed said: “The Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup has been a fantastic tournament and to stake a claim for becoming the inaugural champions of this domestic competition is an exciting prospect for the UMT Markhors. I will look to instill my experience of playing for Pakistan in high-pressure games to the young players in our squad.

The fans will surely get to see a highly-competitive finalon Sunday. We are hopeful to repeat the opening game heroics against the Lake City Panthers. Despite the departure of Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha, the Markhors team is committed to giving the best performance in the final and lifting the trophy.”