KARACHI: Colin Munro’s quickfire 82 after a combined bowling effort led Islamabad United to beat Karachi Kings by seven wickets in the 15th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 166 runs, Islamabad United’s openers, Munro and Alex Hales, laid a solid foundation with a century-plus partnership. Munro’s aggressive batting dominated the proceedings, while Hales provided stability with a composed knock of 47 runs.
Despite the loss of a couple of quick wickets, skipper Shadab Khan and Salman Ali Agha ensured victory for Islamabad United with their sensible batting, guiding their team to the target with ease.
For the Karachi Kings, Nawaz, Shamsi, and Hasan struck out a batter apiece.
Karachi Kings Batting Against Islamabad United
Earlier, put into bat first, Karachi Kings posted a competitive total of 165/5 on the board, thanks to a resilient sixth-wicket partnership between Kieron Pollard and Mohammad Irfan Khan. Pollard’s unbeaten 48 and Irfan’s supporting knock of 27 not out lifted the Kings beyond the 160-run mark.
Karachi Kings had an unwanted start to their innings as Imad Wasim dismissed Tim Seifert (8) in the third over with just 17 runs on the board. Following the early loss, skipper Shan Masood was joined by Leus du Plooy, and the pair briefly supported the total.
They added 40 runs in just five overs before Salman Ali Agha cleaned up du Plooy in the 8th over. He scored 24 off just 15 deliveries with the help of four boundaries.
Karachi Kings’ captain Shan Masood attempted to anchor the innings before falling victim to Hunain Shah in the 10th over after scoring 27 off 30 deliveries. The hosts then lost two more wickets in quick succession, with Mohammad Nawaz and Shoaib Malik, six each, perishing cheaply and bringing the hosts down to 89/5 in 13.1 overs.
Islamabad United’s bowlers put up a commendable effort to restrict the Kings’ batting lineup, with Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, and Hunain Shah all chipping in with crucial wickets.
