KARACHI: The Super Eight stage of National T20 Cup 2023-24 is scheduled to be played from 1 to 8 December 2023 at three venues across Karachi – National Bank Stadium, UBL Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex.
The eight teams progressing from the group stage will be facing each other in a round-robin format, playing seven games each. The top four teams will then play the semi-finals, scheduled for 9 December at National Bank Stadium. The final will also be played at the same venue on 10 December.
Pakistan Cricket Board has also announced free entry for spectators for the matches scheduled at National Bank Stadium. Three enclosures – Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad and Fazal Mahmood – will be accessible to the spectators.
The teams that have qualified for the Super Eight include: Peshawar and Lahore Whites from Group A, Lahore Blues and Karachi Whites from Group B, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad from Group C, and Sialkot and FATA from Group D.
Lahore Whites’ right-handed batter Ahmed Shehzad has been the leading run-scorer in the tournament thus far. The 32-year-old produced three consecutive half-centuries and accumulated 213 runs from three matches. Rawalpindi’s Zeeshan Malik and Peshawar’s Sahibzada Farhan are the two centurions of the tournament up till now.
Umair Afridi, Islamabad’s left-arm pacer, has the most wickets in the tournament so far. In four matches, the 26-year-old has taken 12 wickets. However, Islamabad failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage. Amongst the teams that have progressed ahead, Karachi Whites’ leg spinner Arif Yaqoob has the most wickets with a tally of nine scalps at 10.44, including a four-wicket haul. His fellow teammate, right-arm pacer Sohail Khan has the best bowling figures of the tournament so far with 5-10, which came against Hyderabad.
Hyderabad’s Akbar Khan has been the most successful wicket-keeper in the tournament till now, bagging a total of seven dismissals including four catches and three stumpings. Karachi Whites’ Asad Shafiq has been the most successful fielder with six catches in four matches.
Four matches have been scheduled for each day of the Super Eight stage, while there will be no play on 5 December. All games played at National Bank Stadium will be broadcast on PTV Sports and ARY ZAP in Pakistan and live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel and Facebook page in overseas territories. The afternoon games that are being broadcast will start at 1500 PKT, with toss conducted at 1430 PKT. Toss for evening games will take place at 1930 PKT and the first ball will be bowled at 2000 PKT.
The first set of fixtures, to be played on 1 December, are as follows:
1300 PKT – Rawalpindi v Abbottabad at UBL Sports Complex
1300 PKT – Sialkot v FATA at NBP Sports Complex
1500 PKT – Peshawar v Lahore Whites at National Bank Stadium
2000 PKT – Lahore Blues v Karachi Whites at National Bank Stadium
Director – Domestic Cricket Operations, Nadeem Khan: “The National T20 Cup has seen multiple close games so far which reflects the competitive cricket on display in our revised domestic structure. We hope that the quality of cricket will only improve as we head into the Super Eight stage.
“All eight teams that have qualified ahead are exciting to watch. We are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the tournament pans out, with the title at stake, which all eight captains must be eying. The fight for the trophy will be very interesting as each team has a solid chance at getting to and winning the final.”
