Saim Ayub runs himself out in bizarre fashion during Champions Cup 2026

Pakistan Greens captain Saim Ayub ran himself out in unusual fashion during the National Champions Cup 2026 match against Pakistan Whites at Multan Cricket Stadium on August 11, 2026. The dismissal drew considerable attention online for the manner in which it unfolded.

A video clip of the incident was described as happening "in the most Pakistan cricket way possible," accompanied by a laughing and grimacing emoji. The clip shows how Ayub, the Pakistani opening batter, could not get back in time, leading to a moment of comedy of errors on the pitch.

Saim Ayub runs out in the most Pakistan cricket way possible. 😬

On the ball of the run-out, Pakistan Whites had posted 25 for no loss in their innings. Greens were batting at 4.4 overs when the dismissal occurred. Ayub had scored 12 runs at that point, while his opening partner Shahzaib was batting on 8 off 11 deliveries.

The National Champions Cup is a 50-over List-A tournament organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board. It runs from August 11 to 18, 2026, entirely at Multan Cricket Stadium. Four teams - Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues, and Pakistan Gold — compete in a single-league round-robin format, with the top two sides meeting in the final on August 18, 2026. The PCB has positioned the tournament as the opening event of the 2026-27 domestic season, with preparations for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 cited as broader context.

Ayub captains Pakistan Greens in the tournament. His squad includes Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan, and Usman Khan as wicketkeeper. The national selection committee announced fixed playing XIs for each team, with substitutions permitted only from a reserve pool of 13 players in cases of injury or concussion. The other three captains in the tournament are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Sahibzada Farhan.

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He sustained a right ankle fracture during Pakistan's Test series in South Africa, with the PCB confirming the injury. That injury ruled him out of the Champions Trophy 2025. He was subsequently dropped from Pakistan's ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour following poor performances in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. In March 2026, Ayub scored 53 runs from 33 balls against Bahawalpur in the National T20 Cup and was named Player of the Match in that fixture, signalling a return to form ahead of the Champions Cup.