Pakistan have won the IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup 2026 after defeating Australia by one wicket in a thrilling final played in Guyana. Chasing a challenging target of 282 runs, Pakistan reached the winning total with just one ball remaining. Captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala played the decisive winning shot, securing a memorable international cricket title for Pakistan.
GUYANA: Pakistan’s Over-40 cricket team has emerged as the champion of the IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup 2026 after an exciting final against Australia.
The match went down to the final over as both teams fought hard for the championship.
Led by captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala, Pakistan successfully chased Australia’s target of 282 runs, finishing at 282 for nine in 44.5 overs.
Australia had earlier scored 281 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 45 overs.
Pakistan’s victory was built on important batting performances from Adnan Akmal, Javed Mansoor and Tariq Mahmood, along with impressive bowling by Fareeduddin and Waseem Ali.
The final became particularly dramatic when Pakistan lost their ninth wicket with just two runs needed for victory.
However, the Pakistani captain held his nerve and struck the winning runs to seal the championship.
Australia Posts Challenging Total of 281 Runs
Australia batted first in the final and put Pakistan under pressure by scoring 281 runs in 45 overs.
The Australian batting lineup produced a strong performance, with Greg Hunt leading the way.
Hunt scored an impressive 103 runs, playing a key role in helping his team reach a competitive total.
His century gave Australia a strong position and presented Pakistan with a difficult run chase.
Despite the Australian batting performance, Pakistan’s bowlers managed to take important wickets and prevent the total from becoming even larger.
Fareeduddin and Waseem Ali were the most successful Pakistani bowlers in the match.
Fareeduddin Takes Four Wickets in Final
Pakistan’s Fareeduddin delivered an excellent bowling performance against Australia.
He claimed four wickets, making him Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in the final.
His contribution helped Pakistan control Australia’s scoring at important stages of the innings.
Waseem Ali also played an important role with the ball, taking two wickets.
Together, the two bowlers accounted for all six Australian wickets.
Their efforts ensured that Pakistan had a challenging but achievable target to chase.
Fareeduddin later contributed with the bat as well, making his performance particularly valuable for Pakistan.
Pakistan Begins Chase of 282 Runs
Chasing 282 runs in 45 overs, Pakistan needed a strong batting performance to win the championship.
The Australian bowlers made the contest difficult by taking wickets at regular intervals.
However, Pakistan’s batters continued to build the innings through important individual contributions.
Adnan Akmal emerged as Pakistan’s highest scorer, producing a valuable innings of 83 runs.
His performance helped Pakistan remain competitive during the chase.
Javed Mansoor also played an important innings, scoring 62 runs.
The contributions from both batters laid the foundation for Pakistan’s successful run chase.
Despite losing wickets, Pakistan continued moving closer to the target.
Adnan Akmal Leads Pakistan’s Batting Performance
Adnan Akmal played a crucial role in Pakistan’s victory by scoring 83 runs.
His innings was the highest individual score for Pakistan in the final.
Chasing a target of 282 against Australia required patience, concentration and consistent scoring.
Akmal’s performance helped Pakistan maintain momentum during important stages of the innings.
Javed Mansoor supported the chase with an excellent contribution of 62 runs.
Tariq Mahmood also added 41 runs, providing another important contribution.
Waseem Ali scored 22 runs, while Fareeduddin contributed 24.
These performances helped Pakistan remain in contention despite the pressure created by Australia’s bowling attack.
Australia Fights Back With Nine Wickets
Australia’s bowlers continued to challenge Pakistan throughout the second innings.
Jamie Panelli was the most successful Australian bowler, taking four wickets.
Britten Edward also contributed with two wickets.
Their efforts kept Australia in the match and prevented Pakistan from securing an easy victory.
As the innings progressed, the contest became increasingly tense.
Pakistan continued approaching the target, but wickets kept falling.
By the final over, the match was still undecided.
Australia needed one more wicket to win the championship, while Pakistan required only a few runs.
Dramatic Final Over Decides the World Cup
The most exciting moment of the final came when Pakistan reached 280 runs with nine wickets down.
At that stage, Pakistan needed just two more runs to reach the target of 282.
With only one wicket remaining, the pressure was intense.
Australia had a realistic chance of winning the match by dismissing Pakistan’s final batter.
However, captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala remained at the crease and took responsibility for completing the chase.
He played the decisive winning shot, allowing Pakistan to reach 282 runs in 44.5 overs.
The result gave Pakistan a dramatic one-wicket victory.
The match ended with just one ball remaining in the allotted 45 overs.
It was a remarkable finish to a closely contested World Cup final.
Captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala Plays Winning Shot
Pakistan captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala played an important role in the final moments of the match.
With Pakistan nine wickets down and needing two runs, the captain successfully completed the chase.
His winning shot secured the World Cup title for Pakistan.
The victory reflected the team’s determination to continue fighting until the final moments.
Pakistan’s batting lineup had already made valuable contributions, but the captain’s final effort ensured those performances resulted in a championship win.
The team’s success was also supported by important bowling contributions earlier in the match.
What Is the IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup?
The IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup is an international cricket competition designed for eligible players aged 40 and above.
The tournament provides experienced cricketers with an opportunity to represent their countries and compete at an international level.
It features teams participating in age-group cricket rather than the senior men’s ICC Cricket World Cup.
These competitions allow experienced players to continue demonstrating their cricketing abilities, teamwork and competitive spirit.
Pakistan’s victory in the 2026 tournament represents an important achievement for the country’s Over-40 cricket team.
The final against Australia demonstrated the competitive nature of the tournament, with the championship decided in the final over.
Why Pakistan’s Victory Is Special
Pakistan’s victory stands out for several reasons.
The team successfully chased a challenging target of 282 runs against Australia in a World Cup final.
The match remained competitive until the final over, with Pakistan losing nine wickets before completing the chase.
Adnan Akmal’s 83 runs and Javed Mansoor’s 62 were crucial contributions.
Tariq Mahmood also played an important role with 41 runs.
Meanwhile, Fareeduddin produced an excellent all-round performance by taking four wickets and scoring 24 runs.
Waseem Ali contributed two wickets and 22 runs.
Captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala then completed the victory with the winning shot.
The result highlighted Pakistan’s ability to perform under pressure and secure victory in a closely fought final.
Pakistan Crowned Over-40 World Champions
Pakistan have officially claimed the IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup 2026 title after defeating Australia by one wicket in Guyana, according to the match report.
Australia scored 281 for six in 45 overs, with Greg Hunt contributing a century.
Pakistan successfully chased the target, reaching 282 for nine in 44.5 overs.
Adnan Akmal was Pakistan’s leading scorer with 83 runs, followed by Javed Mansoor with 62 and Tariq Mahmood with 41.
Fareeduddin took four wickets, while Waseem Ali claimed two.
The final was decided by captain Junaid Khalil Nainitalwala’s winning shot after Pakistan had lost nine wickets.
With this dramatic victory, Pakistan secured another international cricket championship and celebrated a memorable achievement in Over-40 cricket.