Muzaffarabad beat Bagh in rain-hit KPL contest

LAHORE: Home side Muzaffarabad Tigers beat Bagh Stallions by seven wickets in a rain-hit contest to start Kashmir Premier League (KPL) season 2 on a winning note.

In a five-overs-a-side contest (the match was curtailed because of rain), the Tigers were given a target of 53 runs. Iftikhar Ahmed smashed quick 24 runs to help the Tigers chase down the target in 4.4 overs. The right-handed batter smacked two boundaries and as many sixes.

Haseebullah made 14 runs off nine balls to give a quick start to the Tigers. Haseeb hit two boundaries. For Stallions, Ali Majid bagged two wickets while Rumman Raees took one.

Earlier, Mohammad Sarwar (25) and Sohaib Maqsood (17) drove Stallions to 52-4 in five overs. Sarwar smoked two sixes and a boundary whereas Maqsood smashed two boundaries and a six. Mir Hamza and Arshad Iqbal bagged two wickets each for the Tigers.

In an earlier match, Shoaib Malik’s Mirpur Royals started their campaign with a six-wicket win over Kotli Lions. At the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium, Malik won the toss and elected to bowl first.

They sent three batters to the pavilion in the power play. Sarfaraz Ahmed managed to score 24 runs of 26 balls. Hassan Khan smashed 27 off 18 balls and Danish Aziz 51 of 43 balls. Fast bowler Zubair Khan Lodhi took two wickets. Kotli finished with 151/6 in their 20 overs.

In response, Mirpur Royals' Hassan Nawaz and Mohammad Ikhlaq got out early. Ali Imran and Malik put up a great show and added 116 runs. Malik went for 48 while Ali Imran got out after scoring 84 off 57 balls. Mirpur Royals chased down the target with two balls to spare. Ali Imran was declared the man of the match.