Mahipar Stars Win the e& AbdaliFCT2026, Powered by SuperCola
Mahipar Stars (259 & 432) beat the Hindukush Strikers (292 &
196) by 203 runs in the grand finale of the event to clinch the title of the
ninth edition of the e& Presents Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament
2026, Powered by SuperCola.
Mahipar Stars won the toss and opted to bat first. Naseer Khan
Maroofkhil (44) and Osman Sadaat (37) got the starts but were not able to
convert their starts into big scores, and the entire team managed to put 259/10
runs on the board in the first innings. For the Strikers, Nasratullah
Nooristani (3/41), Amanullah Kunari (2/40), Izharulhaq Naveed (2/53), Zaitullah
Shaheen (2/61) and Naveed Zadran (1/45), shared the wickets among them.
The skipper Mohammad Asif (86), Sohail Khan Zurmati (71) scored
half-centuries, whereas Mobin Bakhtyar (49) and Kamal Khan (48) chipped in with
crucial runs as they helped the Hindukush Strikers to post 292 runs on the
board and take a 33-run lead on a tricky wicket at the Ghazi Amanullah Khan
Cricket Ground in Nangarhar Province. Mohammad Ibrahim (4/77) and Naseer Khan
Maroofkhil (4/81) returned with excellent figures each, whereas Bashir Ahmad
(1/99) bagged one wicket.
Batting for the second time, the Stars put on a massive 432 to set the Strikers a challenging target of 400 in the 4th inning. Osman Sadaat, who scored 37 runs in the
first inning, also stood tall for his side and smashed a career-best of 171*.
He was equally supported by Azizullah Miakhil (74), Naseer Khan Maroofkhil
(52), and Nasir Jamal (45).
For the Strikers, the only positive was the brilliant bowling figures
of Izharulhaq Naveed, who returned with excellent figures of 6/165 off his 34.3
overs.
While chasing the mammoth total of 400 runs in the last innings, Ali
Ahmad (109*) scored a hundred, but the entire team was bundled out for 196
runs, with Mobin Bakhtyar being the only other batter, scoring 30 runs. Naseer
Khan kept his dream final running with a terrific bowling display as he
returned with outstanding figures of 6/55 to help the Stars clinch a 203-run
victory in the 9th edition of the domestic first-class cricket.
Naseer Khan Maroofkhil (44, 4/81, 52 & 6/55) was awarded player of
the match. Yamin Ahmadzai (42 wickets & 200 runs), who dominated the entire
event with an impressive all-round show, was adjudged as the best player and
the best bowler of the event. Shahidullah Kamal (538 runs) was declared the
best batter for the second successive year, whereas Osman Sadaat, with 284
runs, was named the emerging player of the event, who put on an incredible
performance in his debut first-class event.
Four teams competed in a double round-robin format over 45 days in the 9th edition of the Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament, which began on August 29 across two venues in Khost and Nangarhar provinces. Based on their superior performances in the first phase, the Mahipar Stars (104 Points) and the Hindukush Strikers (72 Points) proceeded to the final, which resulted in the Mahipar Stars being crowned champions of the 9th edition at the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Cricket Stadium in Nangarhar Province.
ENDS
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