Islamabad United emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter against Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League, securing a crucial five-wicket win. The match witnessed a dominant performance from United’s fast bowlers, Tymal Mills and Faheem Ashraf, who dismantled Karachi’s top order.
Mills, making his first appearance in the Rawalpindi leg, proved his worth with an impressive 3 for 34. His deceptive bowling proved too much for Shan Masood and Tim Seifert, who were dismissed for 10 and 26 respectively. Ashraf also played a pivotal role, claiming the wickets of both openers with his cunning deliveries.
Karachi’s batting lineup struggled to gain momentum, with only Kieron Pollard (39) and James Vince (29) managing to form a substantial partnership. Mills broke the 58-run stand between the duo, dismissing Vince with a delivery that seamed away from the batsman.
United’s chase began with a shaky start as Mir Hamza dismissed Alex Hales and Colin Munro within the powerplay. However, captain Shadab Khan (34) and Agha Salman (33) steadied the innings with a cautious 56-run partnership.
After Salman’s dismissal, United lost three wickets in quick succession, but Haider Ali (26*) and Ashraf (12*) guided the team to victory in the 18.4th over.
The win propelled Islamabad United to second place in the standings with nine points, while Karachi Kings’ playoff hopes took a significant blow. They now need to win their remaining two games and rely on other teams to lose in order to qualify for the playoffs.
