Daily Times

Pakistan and Bangladesh have booked their spots in the final of the 4th T-20 Blind Cricket World Cup, eliminating Sri Lanka and Nepal from the title race.

In a dominant display at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan cruised past Nepal in the first semifinal.

Winning the toss, Pakistan invited Nepal to bat first. Nepal managed to score 94 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Durga Datta top-scored with 40 runs off 42 balls, while Ramesh contributed an unbeaten 17 off 30 balls. Pakistan’s Matiullah bowled a stunning spell, claiming three wickets for just five runs in his four overs.

In response, Pakistan’s openers displayed exceptional batting prowess. Kamran Akhtar smashed an unbeaten 63 runs off just 21 balls, including 12 fours and a six, while Babar Ali added 32 runs.

Akhtar’s blistering innings included a record-breaking fifty off just 14 balls, setting a new benchmark for the fastest fifty in the T-20 Blind Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan chased down the target in just 5.3 overs without losing a wicket. Kamran Akhtar was named Player of the Match and received his award from Raymond Moxley, Secretary General of the World Blind Cricket Council, alongside PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah.

In the second semifinal, Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in a thrilling encounter, winning by 6 runs. After electing to field first, Sri Lanka conceded 244 runs in 20 overs, with Bangladesh being awarded six penalty runs due to a slow over rate by Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s Muhammad Salman delivered a stellar performance, scoring 97 runs off 49 balls with 14 boundaries. Arif Hussain supported with 81 runs off 56 balls, including 10 fours.

Sri Lanka fought valiantly but fell short, scoring 238 runs in their 20 overs. Chandana played an outstanding knock of 86 runs off 54 balls, while Dinesh contributed 35 runs off 28 balls. Despite their efforts, Sri Lanka couldn’t overcome the target. Muhammad Salman was declared Player of the Match for his remarkable batting display.

The highly anticipated final between Pakistan and Bangladesh will take place on Tuesday, December 3, at 11:00 AM at the Multan Cricket Stadium.