Renowned Pakistani singer Aima Baig will perform at the opening ceremony of the Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to take place today at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

The highly anticipated match between the Mohammad Rizwan-led UMT Markhors and the Shadab Khan-led Panthers will follow the ceremony.

Aima’s performance is expected to add excitement to the star-studded tournament, showcasing Pakistan’s cricketing talent across five teams.

The tournament, which will feature top cricket players from across Pakistan, will begin at 3 p.m. local time.

The event has been organised with the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in mind, providing a platform for standout performers to boost their chances of national team selection.

The total prize pool for the tournament is set at RS 49 million, with the winner receiving RS 30 million and the runner-up awarded RS 15 million. The tournament will culminate on September 29, with the final to be held at the same venue.

The tournament will feature the country’s top cricket talent in a single-league format. Five teams—Dolphins, UMT Markhors, Panthers, Allied Bank Stallions, and Nurpur Lions—are participating, each guided by prominent mentors.

Saud Shakeel will captain the Dolphins, with Sarfaraz Ahmed as their mentor; the Lions will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, with guidance from Waqar Younis; Mohammad Haris will take charge of the Stallions, supported by Shoaib Malik; Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Markhors, mentored by Misbah-ul-Haq; and Shadab Khan will lead the Panthers, with Saqlain Mushtaq as their mentor.

Matches will generally begin at 3 p.m. local time, except for the September 16 Lions vs. Panthers game, which will start at 9:30 a.m. The tournament consists of 13 league matches and three playoff games, with the final set for Sunday, September 29.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the prize money for the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, which will commence at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium from September 12.

According to the PCB, the tournament winners will receive Rs 30 million, while the runners-up will receive Rs 15 million.

The tournament, featuring five teams, will start today with a high-profile match between the Mohammad Rizwan-led UMT Markhors and the Shadab Khan-led Panthers.

The aforementioned tournament will showcase the nation’s top cricketing talent in a single-league format.

Notable figures will mentor the five participating teams: Dolphins, UMT Markhors, Panthers, Allied Bank Stallions, and Nurpur Lions.

Saud Shakeel will captain the Dolphins, with Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentor; Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the Lions, guided by Waqar Younis; Mohammad Haris will captain the Stallions, with support from Shoaib Malik; Mohammad Rizwan will lead the Markhors, with Misbah-ul-Haq mentoring; and Shadab Khan will captain the Panthers, with Saqlain Mushtaq mentoring.

Matches will start at 3 pm local time, except for the Lions vs. Panthers game on September 16, which will begin at 9:30 am. The tournament includes 13 league matches, followed by three playoff games over four days, with the final scheduled for Sunday, September 29.

National cricketers due to compete in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup remain uninformed about their match fees.

The tournament kicks off in Faisalabad on Thursday, featuring top Pakistani players, yet details regarding their salaries are still pending.

According to the details, players with national central contracts will receive half the match fee for domestic games compared to international matches.

Previously, the One-Day match fee was Rs644,620, meaning players received Rs322,310 per match.

Since no new agreement has been reached with the players, they will receive the same fees as domestic cricketers for the Champions Cup, which is taking place outside the Pakistan domestic calendar.

Domestic cricketers earn Rs60,000 per match for the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, while non-playing members receive Rs20,000.

Initially, it was reported that the five mentors of the Champions Cup—Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Saqlain Mushtaq—will only be involved during the tournament and receive a salary of Rs5 million.

The PCB has now secured a three-year deal with the mentors, ensuring a monthly salary of Rs5 million.

After the Champions Cup, these mentors will continue to support players at academies and oversee talent scouting camps.

As a result, the mentors’ salaries surpass those of top cricketers like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan, who previously earned Rs4.5 million  per month under their central contracts.