Step back in the crease, stay low and then tonk the ball within your arc. The mantra is simple for Asif Ali against pacers, most of his 6s against pacers come this way, his trigger movement is so obvious to the point you would think a bowler would have some plan for it, but unfortunately for the bowler there is very little they can do. Bowl it short, you are pulled for a six, bowl it full and you are hit down the ground for a six. That in short is Asif at his six hitting best.
Footage by: CricinGIF
Earlier in the day Karachi Kings ran away with the game in the first 9 overs, scoring 90 runs after being put in to bat. Babar Azam was at his brutal best in the powerplay overs, scoring 33 runs in 17 balls at 11.64 RPO, but with spread out fields and some good bowling from Islamabad United saw him score 35 runs in the next 33 balls he faced.
The slow down from Karachi Kings after the 9th over was largely down to the United bowlers, Amad Butt who was playing his first game this season and Shadab slowed things down by conceding just 25 runs in 4 overs after the 9th. Forcing Karachi Kings to up at the ante further when any other bowler came to bowl, Faheem Ashraf was targeted for this as he finished with figures of 1/40 in his 4 overs, but the slow down helped Rumman who eventually finished with 3/27 in his 4 overs.
Given the fact that at one stage Karachi Kings were one wicket down for 90 runs in the 9th over, they looked good to set a mammoth target which would have made the chase a tough one for Islamabad United and more so given the opening combination not working for the side. So coming back with the ball was imperative for the side to win the game, 78 runs in the next 11 overs was the answer. The ability to bounce back after the poor power play was on display here.
Islamabad United were chasing 169 runs in 20 overs, Ronchi did what he always does for this United side and that is provide quick starts for this side, this season when he is at the crease he does the bulk of the scoring — He has scored 224 runs in 138 balls, his partners on the other end have scored 147 runs in equivalent balls — and given his role in the side being that of an uber aggressive opener it seems fair for him to just be there to provide starts. As Deano said, the success rate for an attacking batsman is disastrous, but the times they do come off, it is worth it. Ronchi for most times gets those starts.
But with 3 wickets down with just 47 runs on the board, Karachi Kings were on top with the required run rate at 9.38 at the fall of third wicket. Karachi had to just apply the breaks and keep that rate going up something they did well as the next 6 overs went for just 44 runs but it included the dropped catch of Asif Ali who at that stage was batting on 13 having faced 11 balls. Had the catch been taken, who knows how the game would have panned out.
36 balls into the Salt – Asif partnership, Salt played the anchor innings here scoring at a run a ball 27, while Asif Ali scored 34 runs in his 25 balls. This partnership at this stage isn’t really reducing the required run rate, neither is Asif playing at the required rate at the start of the chase. At the end of 13th over, Islamabad United needs 78 runs in 42 balls at 11.14 RPO, a steep chase but with a well settled Asif Ali & Phil Salt along with the batting to come for the side it was not an impossible one.
The 14th over saw Aamer Yamin conceded 12 runs, not that many runs to lower the heartbeat of the Islamabad United fans with required run rate now at 11. But the 15th & 16th over bowled by Usman Shinwari & Colin Munro was where United came storming back in the game and thanks to Asif Ali. He went from 35 in 26 balls to 70 in 37 balls, these two overs saw the side score 37 runs, 35 runs from Asif, 1 from Phil Salt and 1 from a no ball. The required run rate which was 11 now dropped down 7.25 RPO and it was more or less where United killed the game for Karachi Kings.
Asif was eventually dismissed for 70, Amir picking his first wicket of the match while going for just 23 runs clearly the pick of the bowler along with emerging player Umer Khan who went for 29 runs in his 4 overs and picked 2 wickets. Needing 29 runs in 23 balls would be a walk in the park for any T20 side, but much more easier for as side which bats extremely deep. And it ended that way as Shadab cleared his front leg and hit Imad Wasim straight down the ground for a 6 to seal a 5 wicket win for Islamabad United and a spot on top of the table.