KARACHI: Fakhar Zaman continued his remarkable run in the National Champions Cup 2026-2027, smashing his second successive century as Pakistan Greens demolished Pakistan Gold by 128 runs at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The victory took Greens to the top of the table with two wins from two matches. On the other hand Gold’s second consecutive defeat ended their hopes of reaching the final with one league game still to play.

Set to chase a tough target of 315, Gold were bowled out for 186 in 37 overs after Greens had posted 314 all out in their allotted 50 overs.

Fakhar was once again the architect of Greens’ imposing total, producing a commanding 115 off 105 balls with seven fours and four sixes. His innings followed the century he scored in Greens’ opening match and further underlined his importance to the side’s campaign.

Gold began their chase positively, with Shamyl Hussain launching an aggressive assault in the early overs. He added 52 for the opening wicket with Muhammad Akhlaq in only 40 balls, giving Gold hope of mounting a serious challenge.

Faheem Ashraf, however, helped Greens regain control. He removed Akhlaq for four in the seventh over before bowling a maiden to slow the scoring rate.

Shamyl continued to attack and reached 53 from 40 balls, striking six fours and two sixes, but his dismissal by Shadab Khan proved to be the turning point. From there, Gold collapsed, losing nine wickets for just 112 runs.

Greens’ bowlers shared the workload effectively, with eight of their nine bowlers picking up at least one wicket. Mohammad Hasnain was the pick of the attack, claiming 3-32 in six overs, while Mehran Mumtaz marked his 50th List A appearance with an impressive 2-35 from nine overs.

Kamran Ghulam made 26, Haider Ali scored 30 and Abdul Samad contributed 20, but none could convert their starts into a substantial partnership.

Earlier, Greens endured a brief setback when Sameer Minhas was dismissed by debutant Abdul Subhan in only the second over. What followed, however, was a dominant batting display.

Fakhar joined Omair bin Yousuf and the pair put together 181 runs, completely shifting the momentum in Greens’ favour. Greens scored 68 runs during the opening powerplay, while Fakhar brought up his half-century from 38 deliveries.

Their century partnership came from just 84 balls, and Greens reached 150 in the 23rd over as Gold’s attack struggled to contain the pair.

Fakhar eventually completed his 21st List A century from 83 balls. Omair also reached a significant milestone, completing 2,000 List A runs while making his 12th half-century in the format.

Omair’s innings of 74 came from 73 balls and included nine fours and a six before Shaheen Shah Afridi finally provided Gold with a much-needed breakthrough, bowling him.

Gold briefly fought back, taking three wickets for 21 runs across 27 balls. But Shadab Khan ensured Greens retained control, striking a valuable 61 from 51 balls, including four fours and two sixes.

Shadab added 72 for the fifth wicket with Farhan Yousuf, who made a useful 40 from 37 balls with four fours and a six.

Greens lost five wickets for 30 runs in the final 29 balls, with Shaheen and Subhan finishing with three wickets apiece, but their earlier dominance had already carried them beyond the 300 mark.

The 314 was the first total above 300 in the tournament and ultimately proved far beyond Gold’s reach.

Fakhar was named player of the match for his match-winning century.

With Greens now sitting at the top of the standings, attention turns to their clash with Pakistan Blues on Saturday. Gold, meanwhile, will face Pakistan Whites on August 16 in their final match of the tournament.

The top two teams will qualify for the August 18 final.

Summarised scores

Pakistan Greens 314 all out in 50 overs: Fakhar Zaman 115, Omair bin Yousuf 74, Shadab Khan 61, Farhan Yousuf 40; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-47, Abdul Subhan 3-55.

Pakistan Gold 186 all out in 37 overs: Shamyl Hussain 53, Haider Ali 30, Kamran Ghulam 26, Abdul Samad 20; Mohammad Hasnain 3-32, Mehran Mumtaz 2-35.

Player of the match: Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan Greens).