PSL 8: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by four wickets

F.P. Report

KARACHI: Islamabad United Thursday inflicted a four-wicket defeat on home side Karachi Kings in a Pakistan Super League’s eighth edition match in Karachi.

The ill fate continued to haunt Karachi Kings this season as well as they have lost the second consecutive match. They had lost nine out of 10 matches in the last edition.

Chasing a target of 174, United reached 178-6 with 10 balls remaining. Collin Munro and Azam Khan impressed with the bat as Munro hit 58 off 28 balls with the help of five boundaries and four sixes while Azam made 44 off 28 balls hitting six boundaries and a six.

Earlier, a solid fifty from Haider Ali Thursday helped Karachi Kings to post a 173-7 total on the board in their match against Islamabad United.

After being sent into bat, the Kings started the innings on the wrong foot as they lost the opener, James Vince, quickly to Rumman Raees on the last ball of the first over, Vince hit a boundary in his three-ball stay on the crease before he was cleaned up by Raees.

Fellow opener Sharjeel Khan and the new man in Haider slowly but steadily build the innings for Kings. Tom Curran broke the 77-run second wicket stand in the 11th over when he snarled the wicket of Sharjeel courtesy of a beautiful running catch by Colin Munro. Sharjeel made 34 off 26 balls hitting four boundaries and a six.

The fellow batsmen could not improvise but chipped in with some useful quick runs. Faheem Ashraf got the wicket of Haider with a slower bouncer. Haider could not time it properly and the ball went straight into the hands of Rassie van der Dussen. Haideer made 59 runs off 45 deliveries hitting seven boundaries and two sixes.

Mathew Wade made 18 off 18 balls hitting two boundaries before becoming the victim of Muhammad Wasim. Wasim had strangled Wade down the leg with a pacy short of length ball around the hips. Wade looked for a pull, but can only get a glove on it and Azam Khan dived to his right to complete a good catch.

On the very next ball, Wasim removed the next man in a man in form Imad Wasim for a duck. Wasim sent a short ball to the new man in. Imad tried to pull out but hits it hard straight to Asif Ali at midwicket as the Kings captain went for a golden duck leaving the team at 125/5.

Irfan Khan made 19 runs off 11 balls with the help of two sixes and Shoaib Malik 18 runs off 10 balls with the help of one six and two boundaries as the Kings finished their innings at 173-7.

James Fuller (12 runs off 5 balls with two boundaries) and Andrew Tye (one on one ball) remained unbeaten.

For United, Rumman Raees (2-26), Muhammad Wasim (2-38), Tom Curran (2-42) AND Faheem Ashraf (1-25) were among the wickets. Shadab Khan leaked 40 runs in his four overs without any wickets.