KARACHI: Islamabad United extended their winning streak in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 by securing a solid six-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in Match 10, held at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.
The defending champions, chasing a reachable target of 129, cleared the ropes with 17 balls unutilized, thereby presenting their control over both batting and bowling units.
Shadab and Azam’s – The Kings ‘ Beaters
Islamabad’s charge began with a bang as they raced to a 34-run mark in only four overs. Sahibzada Farhan, who is now the highest run scorer in the league, contributed a flamboyant 31 off 18 deliveries, full of five fours and a six, before being taken by Mohammad Nabi.
Even though Colin Munro was dismissed early in the first over of the match, Azam’s welcome with a quickfire 31 off 30 balls, featuring three tough fours and a huge six to stand out, was enough to keep the scoreboard ticking. His act was like a dragon, and he finished the innings with 31 runs from just the 30 balls he faced.
Captain Shadab Khan was the key figure, winning the Player of the Match award for his 47-run innings off 40 balls, the knock comprising five boundaries and two sixes. He and Azam, with their splendid partnership of 65 runs, took the team to victory by the 17th over of the game.
Karachi Kings Slip as Afridi Gambles Excitingly
The toss at the start was won by Islamabad United’s captain, Shadab Khan, who chose to field first, a decision that was undoubtedly made swiftly and collaboratively. The fire-breathing Nazim Shah stunned the bowling lineup with consecutive wickets of Kings’ captain David Warner, who could score only 3 runs, and James Vince, who lost his wicket for a meagre 4 runs by the third over.
Tim Seifert (30 off 37) and Saad Baig (20 off 17) did their best as the opening pair, but their 39-run partnership was not enough to prevent the wickets from falling at regular intervals. Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Jason Holder managed to keep the pressure on, and the innings for the Karachi Kings was falling apart by the 18th over with just 102-7 on the scorecard.
On the other hand, Abbas Afridi (24 off 9) revved up the scoring, who played toward the end of the innings. He hit three sixes in the dying stages, enabling Karachi to put up a competitive total of 128 from the 20-over period.
Impressive Bowling by United
Each one of Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Jason Holder captured two wickets in a very controlled and disciplined bowling that earned the side rich dividends. Meanwhile, Imad Wasim and Ben Dwarshuis were also contributing to the pressure on the home team.
Playing XIs
Islamabad United: Sahibzada Farhan, Azam Khan, Colin Munro, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Jason Holder, Muhammad Shahzad, Imad Kamran, Ben Dwarshuis, Naseem Shah
Karachi Kings: Tim Seifert, David Warner, James Vince, Saad Baig, Khushdil Shah, Irfan Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza
With this win, Islamabad United affirm their supremacy at the PSL 10 league table and are the team’s target to be taken down. On the other hand, the Karachi Kings must regroup promptly to remain competitive for the remainder of the tournament.
