March 7, 2024

PSL 9: Faheem Leads United to Key Victory as Kings Falter in Crucial Showdown – Pakistan Super League

Credit to Pakistan Super League Image Gallery

Under Shadab Khan’s leadership, United has ascended to second place in the standings, boasting nine points and surpassing the Gladiators and Zalmi thanks to a superior net run rate. The Kings are currently in fifth place with six points.

Guided by Shadab Khan, United has climbed to second place on the points table, holding nine points and surpassing the Gladiators and Zalmi due to a superior net run rate. Meanwhile, the Kings are positioned fifth, with six points.

Chasing a modest target of 151, United’s opening pair managed a 28-run stand before Mir Hamza struck for the Kings, dismissing Colin Munro (9 off 11 balls, two fours) and then removing Alex Hales (18 off 13 balls, two fours, 1 six).

Islamabad scored 47 runs during the powerplay but lost two wickets, with Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan stabilizing the innings. At the halfway point, United needed 73 runs from 60 balls.

Blessing Muzarabani broke the 58-run third-wicket partnership in the 13th over, dismissing Salman for 33 off 30 balls, which included a boundary and a six. In the 15th over, Zahid Mahmood took a straightforward return catch to dismiss Azam, who managed just nine runs off eight balls, leaving United in a precarious position.

With Islamabad needing just 36 runs from the last five overs, Hamza dismissed captain Shadab (34 off 26 balls, four fours), and Seifert secured another catch. Faheem Ashraf then made an immediate impact with a towering six.

Haider Ali and Faheem Ashraf rescued United with an unbroken 36-run stand for the sixth wicket, clinching the victory. Haider was in superb form, scoring a fluent 26 not out from 16 balls, including two fours and a six, and hitting the winning runs in the penultimate over.

Faheem, named Player of the Match for his all-round contributions with bat, ball, and in the field, added an unbeaten 12 off eight balls. United secured a vital win by five wickets with eight balls to spare. Hamza took three wickets, while Muzarabani and Zahid each claimed one.

Islamabad United won the toss and elected to have Karachi Kings bat first. The Kings’ opening pair, Shan Masood and Tim Seifert started solidly with a 34-run stand before Faheem Ashraf made the breakthrough in the fifth over. Shan, who has struggled throughout HBL PSL 9, edged a length delivery from Faheem, which Imad Wasim expertly caught.

Following a powerplay score of 38-1, Faheem returned to dismiss Seifert, who had scored 26 off 19 balls with five boundaries. Seifert was caught spectacularly by Colin Munro at the deep cover boundary in the seventh over.

Veteran Shoaib Malik had difficulty finding his rhythm. He was dismissed for just one run off six balls after skying a delivery from Imad, leaving Karachi Kings at 45-3 after eight overs. Tymal Mills, who replaced Naseem Shah in the United lineup, made an immediate impact by dismissing Mohammad Nawaz (5 off three balls, 1 four) with the second ball of his spell.

James Vince and Kieron Pollard got together in the ninth over and brought stability to the Kings’ innings with a 58-run fifth-wicket partnership off just 33 balls.

Pollard took apart Shadab, hitting him for three sixes across two overs, while Vince hit Mills for three consecutive boundaries in the 14th over. Mills took his revenge on the following ball and ended Vince’s 29-run outing aided by five boundaries.

Faheem returned to complete his quota of four overs as he sent down two economical overs, the 15th and 17th of the innings, yielding only nine runs and rounding off his four-over spell for just 16 runs.

In the 17th over, Hunain Shah dismissed Kieron Pollard for 39 off 28 balls, featuring three boundaries and three sixes. Muhammad Irfan Khan, who scored 16 off 13 balls with a four and a six, followed Pollard to the pavilion in the subsequent over as Mills trapped him.

Karachi Kings reached 150-7 by the end of their innings. Mills claimed three wickets, while Faheem Ashraf contributed with two. Imad Wasim and Hunain Shah each took one wicket.

Match Summary

Islamabad United defeated Karachi Kings by five wickets.

Karachi Kings: 150-7 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 39; James Vince 29; Tymal Mills 3-34; Faheem Ashraf 2-16)

Islamabad United: 151-5 in 18.4 overs (Shadab Khan 34; Salman et al. 33; Haider Ali 26*; Mir Hamza 3-41)

Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (Islamabad United)

Next Fixture: Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, 7 PM.

Playing XIs

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Matthew Forde, Hunain Shah, Tymal Mills

Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (c), Tim Seifert (wk), James Vince, Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Nawaz, Hassan Ali, Zahid Mehmood, Mir Hamza, Blessing Muzarabani

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