Pakistan Clinches Semifinal Spot with Dominant 10-Wicket Win Over Nepal in T20 Blind Cricket World Cup
LAHORE: Pakistan stormed into the semifinals of the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Nepal at the Ghani Institute Cricket Ground on Wednesday. A superb all-round performance saw Pakistan bowl Nepal out for just 101, before chasing down the target in rapid fashion.
Pakistan’s bowlers were in devastating form, with Haroon Khan leading the charge. He delivered a spectacular performance, claiming two wickets while conceding a mere five runs. Nepal’s top scorer, Bharat Thapa, fought a lone battle with a gritty 39 runs off 46 balls, but the rest of the Nepalese batting lineup crumbled under pressure.
In reply, Pakistan’s openers, Naeematullah and Mohammad Safdar, wasted no time in chasing down the modest target. Naeematullah played a brilliant knock, scoring 73 runs off 36 balls, while Safdar contributed a solid 24 runs. Together, they saw Pakistan home in just 6.4 overs, securing an easy victory and a place in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, at the same venue, Sri Lanka registered a comfortable 53-run victory over South Africa. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a challenging total of 217-6, thanks to a crucial 56-run knock from Suranga Sampat. In response, South Africa could only manage 164 runs, losing nine wickets in the process. Sri Lanka’s bowlers were effective, with captain Chandana Deshpriya and Saman Tushara both claiming two wickets each, ensuring the win for their side.
At the Bagh-e-Jinnah Cricket Ground, Bangladesh triumphed over Afghanistan by eight wickets in another dominant performance. Afghanistan, batting first, were bowled out for 149, with captain Abbasin top-scoring with 30 runs. Bangladesh easily chased down the target in 12 overs, with Arif Hussain playing a match-winning knock of 89 not out off 44 balls to guide his team to victory.
With these results, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh all secured their spots in the next stage of the tournament, while Nepal and South Africa face elimination. The thrilling action continues as the teams battle for supremacy in the Blind T20 World Cup.
