RAWALPINDI: Mohammad Haris-led Stallions outclassed Iftikhar Ahmed’s Markhors by 70 runs to win the inaugural edition of the Champions T20 Cup here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Top-order batter Yasir Khan was the standout performer for the Stallions as he scored a blistering century to power his side to a massive total of 199/5.
The opening batter smashed five fours and seven sixes on his way to a 57-ball 100 and top-scored for the Stallions in the all-important match.
Later, skipper Mohammad Haris and all-rounder Jahandad Khan’s brisk cameos further bolstered the team’s total. Haris made 21 off 15, while Jahandad scored an unbeaten 22 off 10 deliveries.
Akif Javed was the pick of the Markhors’ bowlers, taking two wickets for 32 runs in his four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Imran Jr and Mohammad Faizan made one scalp apiece.
Chasing a daunting 200-run target, Markhors’ batting unit faltered and could only yield 124 runs before getting bundled out on the first delivery of the final over.
Top-order bater Mohammad Faizan waged a lone battle for Markhors with a gutsy knock and oversaw their run chase until his dismissal in the 12th over.
He remained the top-scorer for the Markhors with a 33-ball 43, followed by skipper Iftikhar Ahmed (22), Fakhar Zaman (20) and Nawaz (15), while the rest of their batters failed to amass double figures.
Test pacer Mohammad Ali led the bowling charge for the Stallions with three wickets for just 19 in his four overs, while Jahandad and Usman Tariq bagged two wickets each.
Hussain Talat and Abrar Ahmed, on the other hand, shared two wickets between them.
For his match-winning century, Yasir Khan was adjudged the player of the Champions T20 Cup final.
