This was an uncharacteristic performance with the ball for Islamabad United this season, usually they are economical in the powerplay, but they went for runs this time. 56 runs in the first 6 overs, the phase in which they are going for just 6.38 runs per over. But let’s give credit to the Karachi openers — Babar Azam & Sharjeel Khan — who played risk free shots for high reward, the result of that was the powerplay.
If the first 6 overs was Karachi’s, the next 6 overs (Overs 7-12) were Islamabad’s, Islamabad needed to get that scoring rate down and this 6 over phase was exactly what they wanted as Karachi managed to score only 35 runs at just under a run a ball.
Karachi’s understanding must have been that they wanted to keep as many wickets in hand so as to launch a continuous assault in the final overs, which they managed to do as Karachi scored 99 runs in the final 8 overs of their innings to give Karachi 190 to defend. Unlike the previous game, this 190 could be defended given how Abu Dhabi pitches have played.
Babar Azam and Najibullah Zadran at the end of the 12th over were 42(34) and 13(17) respectively. The pair knew that as set batsmen it’s their job to get Karachi to a total which they could defend, with both having spent 51 balls in total, it was time and the change in gear both the batsmen showed was fabulous.
Babar Azam added 39 runs in 20 balls at 11.7 runs per over, but it was Zadran who hurt Islamabad a lot more as he added 58 runs in 25 balls at 13.92 runs per over. In the final 48 balls, Karachi added 99 runs, Zadran was the man who made sure they got those 99 runs.
The change of gears the duo brought to their innings was crucial for Karachi but it also showed Islamabad the template on how to bat on this pitch.
Islamabad started the chase odd slowly, usually they break the back of the chase in the first 6 overs but they were up against Amir who has been economical in the powerplay overs and a genuine wicket taking threat & Waqas Masood who has been good in the powerplay.
So Islamabad United went with the Karachi approach of the first innings and took their time. Their first 10 overs saw the side only score 72 runs and the required run rate which was 9.55 at the start of the chase was now 11.9 runs per over.
Good thing for Islamabad though was that Ifthikar batting on 14(14) & Munro 33(28) were now well set.
And the benefits of being set came through in the remainder of the chase as the pair scored 119 in 52 balls at 13.8 runs per over.
The duo scored 84 runs in boundaries alone in the second half of the chase having scored just 30 runs in boundaries in the first half.
Munro went from 33(28) to 88(56), adding 55 runs in 28 balls at 11.8 runs per over.
But the serious shift in gear came from Ifthikar Ahmed who went from 14(14) to 71(39) adding 57 runs in 25 balls at 13.7 runs per over.
While Karachi might have believed they did have a chance (and they did for a while), Islamabad knew that their deep batting depth and the ability to change gears would still make a chase where the required rate is hovering close to 12 a possible chase.
With this win Islamabad United sealed their spot in the playoffs, becoming the first side in HBL PSL 6 to make it to the playoffs and all this done with 2 games still left in the group stage. Which gives Islamabad some options, which could include giving Faheem Ashraf more time to recover from his injury.
