In a thrilling encounter, Dolphins emerged victorious over Lions by 16 runs in the final league game of the Champions Cup. Batting first, Dolphins amassed a formidable 326, thanks to Umar Amin’s 75 and Muhammad Akhlaq’s 52. Lions’ chase started promisingly, but they ultimately fell short despite a valiant effort from Khushdil Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Dolphins’ innings got off to a shaky start with the early dismissal of Sahibzada Farhan. However, Muhammad Hurraira and Muhammad Akhlaq steadied the ship with a 77-run partnership. Hurraira contributed 47 off 41 balls, while Akhlaq scored 52 off 50.
After the departure of Hurraira and Akhlaq, Umar Amin took charge. He found support from the lower middle order, including Jamal’s 69 off 52 balls, to guide Dolphins to a challenging total. By the time Amin was dismissed in the 42nd over, Dolphins had reached 275. They eventually finished on 326, despite being bowled out in the final over.
In response, Lions openers Abdullah Shafique and Rohail Nazir provided a solid start, putting on 78 runs in 13.3 overs. Nazir was the more aggressive of the two, scoring 62 off 70 balls. However, Lions’ chase suffered a setback when Saud Shakeel dismissed Nazir and Omair Yousuf in quick succession.
With 100 runs needed in the last ten overs and four wickets in hand, Lions’ hopes rested on Khushdil Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Despite Shaheen’s injury, the pair launched a counterattack, hitting seven sixes and two fours in the next four overs.
However, Abbas Afridi held his nerve in the final over, conceding only seven runs to secure a consolation win for Dolphins. Khushdil remained unbeaten on 60 off 28 balls, while Shaheen scored 24 off 14 balls.
