MULTAN, (Sports Desk) Shaheen Shah Afridi led Sparco Paints Pakistan Gold qualified for the final of the Al Batal Presents University of Lahore National Champions Cup 2026-27 after defeating UOL Pakistan Whites by five wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Chasing 173, Gold reached the target in just 28 overs, finishing above Whites and Pakistan Blues on net run rate after all three teams ended the league stage with two points. Gold will face Shadab Khan-led Rivaj Pakistan Greens in Tuesday’s final at the same venue, with the toss at 2:30pm and first ball at 3pm.
Gold needed to chase the target in 32.1 overs to secure the required net run rate and kept their hopes alive with an emphatic victory. Haider Ali played a match-winning unbeaten innings of 69 from 48 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, after Gold slipped to 61 for three in the powerplay he added 86 runs with Saad Khan, who scored 33 off 55 balls, to put Gold firmly in control before completing the chase with 25 balls to spare.
Earlier, Shaheen won the toss and elected to bowl, leading from the front with an impressive 3 for 26 from eight overs. Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Mubasir Khan and Faisal Akram also bowled effectively, taking one, one, two and two wickets respectively. Whites struggled to build momentum, with Hasan Nawaz top-scoring with 55 off 74 balls, while Saim Ayub made 28. Hasan and Saad Masood added 45 for the sixth wicket, but Whites lost their final four wickets for just 24 runs and were bowled out for 172.
In the chase, Kamran Ghulam gave Gold a solid start with a brisk 30 off 26 balls, while Shamyl Hussain and Mohammad Akhlaq contributed 15 each. Haider then took charge alongside Saad Khan, ensuring there was no late pressure on Gold. Wasim Jnr took two wickets for Whites, while Ali Raza, Saim Ayub and Shahnawaz Dahani claimed one each. Gold’s decisive victory lifted them into second place on net run rate and earned them a final showdown against Rivaj Pakistan Greens on Tuesday. The official tournament nomenclature is Al Batal Presents University of Lahore National Champions Cup 2026-27, and media houses are requested to use the correct nomenclature in all texts, headlines and bulletins.
