RAWALPINDI, MAY 20: Islamabad United jumped to second position on the points table after grabbing a dominating victory over Karachi Kings by 79 runs in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 match played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
The 79-run victory helped the three-time champions to secure the top-two finish, meaning they will take on leaders Quetta Gladiators in the Qualifier on Wednesday.
The Kings, on the other hand, slipped to third and will take on arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the Eliminator on Thursday.
Chasing a daunting 252-run target and 204 to remain second in the PSL 10 standings, the 2020 champions could only muster 172 before being bowled out in the penultimate over.
The Kings, however, had a promising start to the run chase as their opening pair of skipper David Warner and Tim Seifert put together 56 runs.
The opening stand was broken by Salman Irshad in the sixth over when he cleaned up Seifert, who made 26 off 17 deliveries.
Meanwhile, Warner was then involved in brief partnerships with in-form James Vince (eight) and Saad Baig (five) until falling victim to Imad Wasim in the 11th over.
He remained the top-scorer for the Kings with a 28-ball 43, laced with four fours and two sixes.
His dismissal sparked a match-defining collapse, which saw the Kings lose four more wickets in quick succession and consequently slip to 114/8 in 13.4 overs.
Abbas Afridi salvaged some fightback with a brisk 34-run cameo, coming off just 13 deliveries and featuring two fours and three sixes.
The number 10 batter eventually fell victim to Irshad in the 17th over, bringing the total down to 155/9.
Irshad struck again in his next over, dismissing Aamir Jamal to cap off a high-rewarding victory for the United.
Captain Shadab Khan was the standout bowler for the United, taking four wickets for 45 runs in his four overs, followed by Irshad, who bagged three. Imad Wasim sent back two Kings batters, while Salman Ali Agha chipped in with one scalp.
Kings captain David Warner’s decision to bowl first backfired as the hosts notched up 251/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
The United got off to a flamboyant start to their innings as their new opening pair of Alex Hales and Sahibzada Farhan ran riot, putting together 153 runs, the joint-highest partnership by the team in the league’s history.
The record-equalling stand eventually concluded in the 12th over when Farhan tried to scoop the ball over fine leg but ended up spooning a straightforward catch to Abbas Afridi off Mir Hamza.
Farhan smashed a dozen boundaries, including three sixes, on his way to a 41-ball 73, his third fifty-plus score in PSL 10.
The home side then lost two more wickets in quick succession as Rassie van der Dussen and Salman Ali Agha walked back after mustering one and seven, respectively.
The back-to-back wickets reduced United to 172/3 in 14.1 overs.
Skipper Shadab Khan then joined set-batter Hales in the middle, and the duo could add 27 runs to the total until Khushdil Shah gave Kings a much-needed success by dismissing Hales.
Hales remained the top-scorer for the United with a sensational 88 off just 35 deliveries, studded with six fours and eight sixes.
Following his departure, skipper Shadab took the reins of United’s batting charge and played a blistering 42-run cameo before getting run out on the second delivery of the final over.
He was also involved in a crucial 38-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Haider Ali, who made an unbeaten 19 off nine deliveries with the help of one four and a six.
For Kings, Aamir Jamal, Khushdil Shah and Mir Hamza picked up one wicket apiece.
