Islamabad United Vs Karachi Kings | Match 21 | PSL 7, Islamabad United won by one run despite Shadab Khan and Zeeshan Zameer’s injuries. Imad-Qasim’s heroics were in vain as Karachi Kings suffered their seventh consecutive defeat.
| Islamabad United 191 for 7 (Shadab 34, Asif 28, Imad 2-30) beat Karachi Kings 190 for 8 (Imad 55, Qasim 51, Maqsood 3-34) by one run |
Islamabad United were the side beset by injuries, but the insult was all Karachi Kings’. It went much, much deeper than anyone might have believed six overs before the death, and took a third umpire’s decision on a marginal run-out to settle the outcome. But for the Kings, the result in the end was no different to their previous six games: a defeat. They become the first PSL side to lose their first seven PSL games, and the first to be eliminated from this year’s competition. But in the end, the story of United’s one-run win was much too dramatic to be reduced to mere numbers.
Islamabad United squeeze out one-run win despite injuries to Shadab Khan, Zeeshan Zameer
| Imad-Qasim heroics in vain as Karachi Kings slide to seventh straight loss |
Although Islamabad United were the teamSix overs before the final out, it went much deeper than anyone could have imagined, and the outcome was settled by a third umpire’s decision on a small run-out.However, for the Kings, the outcome was the same as in their previous six games:a failure. Islamabad United Vs Karachi Kings | Match 21 | PSL 7. They become the first team in the PSL to lose all seven of its PSL games and the first team to be eliminated from the competition this year.However, United’s one-run victory was ultimately far too dramatic to be reduced to numbers.
Asif Ali had to bowl three overs and took two wickets in his first over as Kings chased 192 when two important United bowlers, Shadab Khan and Zeeshan Zameer, were forced off the field with injuries.Even though United’s spirited stand between Imad Wasim and Qasim Akram and their generous fielding at the end of the game made this game a contest, they had just enough runs from several cameos with the bat to avoid being penalized for their waste.
It boiled down to a nail-gnawing last over from Waqas Maqsood, in which Rulers required eight.A boundary off the second ball brought the score to a run-a-ball, but the Kings needed two wickets off the final delivery to win. Chris Jordan spooned it back to Maqsood, who some way or another dropped it, however figured out how to assemble and impact an immediate hit at the non-striker’s end.Jordan was just inches away from making the popping crease that would have won the Super Over for the Kings, and United had barely managed to hold on to their victory in a game that they should have won long ago.
Joined had serious issues all through their safeguard of 191 with Shadab and Zameer missing, and for a significant part of the initial ten overs, the Rulers expected to wait for their opportunity, remain in the game, and target whoever bowled the other three overs.But Asif Ali, who had taken two T20 wickets in his career, came up big. He took Sharjeel out of a poor long-hop with his first ball and caught Mohammad Nabi four deliveries later.The Kings were 80 for 5, and it looked like the game was over.
However, Pakistan U-19 captain Qasim and Imad formed a magnificent counterattacking duo that brought their team close to victory.Imad Wasim scored 55 off 28, and Qasim capitalized on United’s lack of discipline on the field to score an unbeaten 51 off 26.As the nerves tightened and the runs flowed freely, at least half a dozen catches were shelled, and one was allowed to turn into two and four.Another death-overs pasting was delivered to Hasan Ali;In the final over, he was run out for 16 runs, leaving Qasim with so little to work with.
You’ve probably seen United bat every time if you’ve seen them bat once.Muhammad Akhlaq and Rahmanullah Gurbaz both suffered early defeats, but this did not stop them from pursuing the bowling.Again, they didn’t have a particularly strong player, but five batters scored between 22 and 34 with strike rates above 130.Asif Ali (28 off 11) and Faheem Ashraf (29* off 10) both blitzed a 57 off a combined 21 balls at the end, helping United rack up a massive 78 runs in the final six overs.They would need each and every one of those a few hours later as they just about held off a resurgent Kings team and strengthened their own hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.
Shadab Khan, Zeeshan Zameer, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, and Qasim Akram participated in the Pakistan Super League matchup between Islamabad United and Karachi Kings.
| Shadab Khan | Zeeshan Zameer | Asif Ali | Imad Wasim | Qasim Akram | Islamabad United | Karachi Kings | United vs Kings | Pakistan Super League
