KARACHI (The Thursday Times) — Imad Wasim’s exceptional all-around abilities have led Islamabad United to victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after a gap of five years, beating the highly favored Multan Sultans in the final of the ninth edition at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Islamabad United, aiming for their third PSL title, had to chase a target of 160 runs. The team got off to a brisk start thanks to their opening duo, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, who quickly put 20 runs on the board in the first two overs. However, their momentum was halted when Munro was dismissed by Khushdil Shah in the fourth over, after scoring 17 runs off 13 balls, including four boundaries.
Subsequent dismissals of Salman Ali Agha for 10 and Shadab Khan for 4 soon followed, adding pressure on the United. Nonetheless, Guptill stood firm, contributing significantly with a 50 off 32 balls, comprising four boundaries and three sixes, in a critical fourth-wicket partnership with Azam Khan. A misunderstanding led to Guptill’s dismissal, ending his impressive innings.
Azam Khan then formed a short partnership with Imad Wasim, adding 19 runs before being out in the 16th over due to a successful DRS call by Mohammad Rizwan against Usama Mir, after scoring 30 off 22 balls with four boundaries and a six.
With the game intensifying, Islamabad United faced setbacks as Haider Ali and Faheem Ashraf were dismissed in quick succession, leaving the team at 129/7. Needing 31 runs from 17 balls, Imad and Naseem Shah played wisely, bringing their team close to victory until Mohammad Ali took Naseem Shah’s wicket with a crucial delivery.
With just one run required from the final ball, Hunain Shah guided the ball towards third man, securing the win for Islamabad United.
Multan Sultans’ bowlers Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah took two wickets each, with Usama Mir, Mohammad Ali, and David Willey each claiming one.
Earlier, opting to bat, the Multan Sultans posted a modest total despite a resilient half-century from Usman Khan and a quickfire innings by Iftikhar Ahmed. The Sultans struggled at the start, losing Yasir Khan and David Willey early to Imad Wasim’s bowling. A partnership between Usman Khan and Mohammad Rizwan provided some stability, but after Rizwan’s dismissal, Usman Khan kept the innings together until falling for 57 off 40 deliveries.
The Sultans then experienced a middle-order collapse, but Iftikhar Ahmed’s aggressive 32 off 20 deliveries helped them reach a competitive total. Imad Wasim was the standout bowler for Islamabad United, ending with impressive figures of 5/22, while Shadab Khan also contributed with three wickets for 32 runs in his four overs, showcasing a team effort that led to Islamabad United’s memorable win.
