News by “Sana Ullah”
KARACHI: Imad Wasim’s versatile performance guided Islamabad United to their third Pakistan Super League championship title in a thrilling encounter against Multan Sultans in the highly anticipated PSL 9 final held at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Chasing a target of 160 runs for their third PSL title, Islamabad United got off to a flying start with their new opening pair, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, scoring 20 runs in the first two overs. However, Munro’s dismissal on the first delivery of the fourth over by Khushdil Shah halted their momentum, with Guptill continuing to anchor the innings.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Guptill stood firm and formed crucial partnerships, including a significant one with Azam Khan, before his departure. Guptill top-scored with a commendable 50 off 32 balls.
Subsequently, Azam Khan and Imad Wasim contributed valuable runs, guiding Islamabad United closer to the target. With the equation down to 31 runs off 17 deliveries, Imad and Naseem Shah displayed sensible batting, steering their team towards victory.
With one run needed off the final delivery, Hunain Shah calmly guided the ball to the boundary, securing the title for Islamabad United.
For Multan Sultans, Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah claimed two wickets each, while Usama Mir, Mohammad Ali, and David Willey took one wicket apiece.
In the batting department, despite Usman Khan’s resilient half-century and Iftikhar Ahmed’s late fireworks, Multan Sultans could only manage a below-par total.
Imad Wasim’s exceptional bowling performance, claiming five wickets for 22 runs, highlighted the collapse of Multan Sultans’ lower middle-order.
Ultimately, Islamabad United emerged victorious, thanks to a collective effort with both bat and ball, clinching the PSL 9 championship title.
