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[Watch] Iftikhar Ahmed Blasts Powerful Six In Pakistan's Champions Cup To Shut Age Critics

Akshita Patel

Iftikhar Ahmed leads from the front in Champions T20 Cup [Source: @championscuppcb/X.com]Iftikhar Ahmed leads from the front in Champions T20 Cup [Source: @championscuppcb/X.com]

Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan's veteran all-rounder, boasted his muscles in the Champions T20 Cup to shut down his critics. Being excluded from PCB central contracts, Iftikhar hit back at his doubters to slam a thumping six straight down the ground, leading UMT Markhors to a 4-wicket convincing victory.

Pakistan Champions T20 Cup 2024 kicked off with a doubleheader on December 7. For the opening game, UMT Markhors squared off with Nurpur Lions at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Lions batted first to post 150/7 runs on the board. Awais Zafar topped the scoreboard with 40 off 34 balls. Still, the total was not good enough to beat a power-packed batting lineup of UMT Markhors. 

Iftikhar Ahmed leads Markhors to emphatic victory

Fakhar Zaman provided his team with a perfect start of 28 off 25 balls. However, the middle-order collapsed to single-digit scores, leaving Markhor reeling at 58/4. 

With their backs against the wall, skipper Iftikhar Ahmed stepped up to shoulder the responsibility of the chase. He thumped a massive six straight down the ground off Faisal's tossed-up delivery. Iftikhar scored 42* off 34 balls, including two giant sixes to lift his team, UMT Markhors, to a convincing 4-wicket victory with 6 balls to spare.

This inning was a moment of redemption for Iftikhar Ahmed. Often criticised for his age, Iftikhar Ahmed was dropped from PCB's central contract list and was necessarily hurt by Pakistan media's negative coverage. 

Fakhar Zaman stuns with an athletic catch

Fakhar Zaman made a bold statement in the opening match of the Champions T20 Cup at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, pulling off a breathtaking one-handed catch that silenced his critics. In the second over of the Lions' innings, Nisar Ahmad delivered a good-length ball that Zeeshan Malik lofted high into the sky. 

Positioned at deep mid-wicket, Zaman sprinted backward and executed an extraordinary one-handed grab, leaving the fans in awe. Despite the Lions setting a competitive target of 150, the Markhors, led by Iftikhar Ahmed, chased it down with six balls to spare.