The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 7 to 25 December.

Five teams – ABL Stallions, Engro Dolphins, Lake City Panthers, Nurpur Lions, and UMT Markhors – will compete for the title.

This marks the second event in the Champions Cup series, following the resounding success of the 50-over tournament held in Faisalabad in September.

In that event, the Lake City Panthers had crowned over the UMT Markhors in a closely contested final.

Following the conclusion of the 50-over event, the PCB has scheduled the Champions T20 Cup at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, featuring 22 matches in 19 days, including six double-headers and eight single-headers.

Double-header matches will begin at 11am and 3.30p11 am, while single-header games are set for 12 pm.

Squads of Teams:

As per PCB official release, these provisional squads (excluding PCB central players and those presently in Zimbabwe, however, Mentors can also pick players from outside the provisional list).

**Note: According to PCB, there will be minor changes to the provisional squads, with the final squads set to be announced soon**

Mentors:

Misbah-ul-Haq – UMT Markhors

• Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, who led his side to victories in 26 out of 56 Tests, including inspiring Pakistan to No.1 in the ICC Test Team Rankings in August 2016
• In 2014, equaled the then world record of fastest Test century by hitting a 56-ball 100 against Australia in Abu Dhabi
• Featured in two 50-over World Cups, three T20 World Cups and three ICC Champions Trophy events
• Was a member of the side that played the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and won the tournament two years later at Lord’s
• One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2017

Saqlain Mushtaq – Lake City Panthers

• Is the fastest to 250 ODI wickets and took most ODI wickets in a calendar year
• Is second on the list of most consecutive five-wickets in an ODI innings
• Took two hat-tricks in ODIs, including one in a World Cup
• Is the inventor of ‘Doosra’
• Played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophy events

Sarfaraz Ahmed – Engro Dolphins

• Captained Pakistan to victories in the ICC U19 World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was a member of the Pakistan side that won the ACC Asia Cup 2012
• Led Pakistan to No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings
• Holds the record for most dismissals in an ODI (all 6 catches)
• Only the second wicket-keeper to have captained his side in 50 or more ODIs; 17th on the ODI list of wicket-keepers with 2,000 runs and 100 dismissals
• Also played in two 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup

Shoaib Malik – Nurpur Lions

• Played in 2007 and 2019 50-over World Cup; featured in six T20 World Cups, including captaining the side in the 2007 event; and, six Champions Trophy tournaments
• Is 33rd on the list of ODI players with 1,000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches
• Holds the record for one of the longest international careers, spanning over 19 years and 245 days
• Has appeared in 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 124 T20Is in which he has scored 11,867 runs and taken 218 wickets
• He is considered as one of the most sought after and busiest cricketers in franchise cricket

Waqar Younis – ABL Stallions

• Played in three 50-over World Cups
• Holds the record for fastest to 400 ODI wickets
• Leads the list of captains with best ODI bowling figures
• Is one of the bowlers to dismiss all 11 batters in a Test match
• Coached Pakistan in the 2010 and 2016 T20 World Cups, 2011 and 2015 World Cup, while last served Pakistan as bowling coach from 2019-2021

Fixtures and Figures:

Rawalpindi Stadium Overview: 

Rawalpindi Stadium, located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, was established in 1992, the stadium has a rich history of hosting both domestic and international cricket matches.

The stadium, with a seating capacity of 15,000, has hosted numerous events, including 16 Test matches, 26 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and eight T20 Internationals.

In addition to international matches, Rawalpindi Stadium regularly hosts domestic competitions like the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and regional tournaments.

Tickets:

According to the PCB official statement, free entry for fans to Premium enclosures (Miran Baksh, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat) in all matches of Champions Cup T20 2024 except the Qualifier and Final.

Meanwhile, the statement asserted that the fans can purchase tickets online from pcb.tcs.com.pk, while the physical tickets will be available for purchase at the designated TCS outlets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

For the Qualifier, on 23 December and the final, on 25 December, the Premium enclosure tickets can be bought for Rs 100 and Rs 250, respectively.

Tickets for the VIP enclosures (Imran Khan and Javed Miandad) can be bought at rates starting from Rs 200 and Rs 250 for single header games while the VIP tickets for the double headers can be bought at Rs 300 and Rs 400.

The VIP enclosure tickets for the final can be purchased for Rs 500.

Fans can also watch the action from the Gallery at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the tickets cost from Rs 650 to Rs 700 for the single header matches while Rs 800 for the six double headers in the tournament.

As per PCB official release, the Gallery tickets will cost Rs 700 per head for the Qualifier while the fans can buy the 25 December final tickets for the Gallery worth Rs 1,000.

Match Officials:

A total of 13 umpires and six match referees will officiate the 22 matches of the tournament.

For the opening match between Nurpur Lions and UMT Markhors on December 7, PCB Elite Panel Umpires Imran Jawed and Zulfiqar Jan will serve as on-field umpires, with Qaisar Waheed as the third umpire and Rana Muhammad Arshad as the fourth umpire. Nadeem Arshad, from the PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees, will head the playing control team.

For the final on December 25, members of the ICC International Panel of Umpires—Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz Waqar, and Faisal Khan Aafreedi—will officiate as on-field umpires and third umpire, with Zulfiqar Jan as the fourth umpire. Ali Naqvi, from the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, will lead the playing control team.

In addition to the officials, umpiring duties will be shared among Ahmed Shahab, Imranullah Aslam, Imtiaz Iqbal, Kashif Sohail, Khalid Mehmood Sr, and Muhammad Sajid.

Where to Watch:

TV Broadcasters:

Cricket fans can catch the action live on PTV Sports HD, A Sports HD, and Geo Super.

Live Streaming Online:

While, the ball to ball update can be streamed at online applications including, Tamasha, myco, and tapmad apps.