The second match between Islamabad United and the Karachi Kings saw the teams fighting to be a part of the HBL PSL playoffs. The match tilted in ISLU’s favor from the beginning when Imran Khalid took 2 wickets in his first over. This shattered the confidence of the Karachi Kings batsmen who were looking to score some big runs in the powerplay overs. The bowlers kept the pressure on Karachi Kings by not allowing easy singles. As a result, wickets started to tumble for the batting side at regular intervals. The ISLU bowling attack was strengthened by the inclusion of T20 specialist Azhar Mahmood who replaced the injured Shane Watson. In the end, Karachi Kings ended up with a total score of 128 for the loss of 5 wickets.
The target seemed to be a small one on the flat Sharjah wickets. However, sharp bowling by the Karachi Kings quickie Mohammad Amir and some rash shots by the ISLU batsmen left them 3 down for a mere 19 runs. Once again, the Islamabad United skipper, Misbah ul Haq, came into bat to save the team. The captain and Khalid Latif steadied the scoring rate for ISLU with a partnership of 63 runs. However, both batsmen got out at a crucial stage of the innings. Islamabad United needed inspiration and it came in the form of Asif Ali. Scoring 31 runs in 17 balls, Asif Ali led the team home to an emphatic victory. With the win, Islamabad United confirmed a place in the HBL PSL playoffs.
Here are some of the best moments from the match:
Imran Khalid takes 2 wickets in his first over
Mohammad Sami dismisses Shahzaib Hasan
Andre Russell hits the stumps to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim
Azhar Mahmood takes his first wicket for Islamabad United
Asif Ali hits a huge 6
Khalid Latif hits the ball out of the park
Misbah ul Haq with a sweep shot for 4
