KARACHI: Islamabad United stormed into the top four with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the 36th match of PSL 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.
It was expected to be a competitive contest, but the match turned out to be a one-sided affair. Islamabad United faced little resistance as they chased down a modest target of 81 runs with ease, losing just two wickets and finishing the job with 80 balls to spare. The win marked United’s fifth of the tournament and secured their place in the playoffs alongside table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi and 2021 champions Multan Sultans. Chasing 81, United suffered an early setback when opener Devon Conway fell on the second ball of the innings. Attempting a flick towards fine leg, he was caught by Maaz Sadaqat off the bowling of Muhammad Ali. However, Sameer Minhas and debutant Mohsin Riaz quickly took control of the chase with a match-winning 79-run partnership for the second wicket. The duo batted with confidence, finding boundaries at will and keeping the required rate well under control.
Mohsin Riaz was particularly impressive on debut, playing a fluent and aggressive knock of 42 off just 18 balls, including six boundaries and two towering sixes. He was eventually dismissed by Muhammad Ali at the score of 79, just before the winning runs were completed.
Sameer Minhas remained unbeaten on 27 off 29 balls, striking three boundaries and a six, calmly guiding his side home. For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Muhammad Ali was the only bowler to make an impact, claiming both wickets for 29 runs, but it was far from enough to stop a dominant Islamabad United side.
Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for just 80 runs in 15.5 overs. Their innings got off to a disastrous start as opener Maaz Sadaqat was dismissed on the very first ball by Richard Gleeson, caught at deep midwicket by Imad. Gleeson struck again soon after, removing Marnus Labuschagne for 5, caught in the slips by Faheem Ashraf, leaving Kingsmen in early trouble at 11 on the board. Saim Ayub, already struggling for form, failed to steady the innings and was dismissed for 12, giving Gleeson his third wicket. At 39 for 3, Kingsmen were already on the back foot, with Gleeson doing most of the early damage.
The batting lineup never looked settled, and wickets kept falling at regular intervals. The fourth wicket fell at 42, deepening the crisis. In-form Kusal Perera also couldn’t make an impact, falling to Imad Wasim, caught by Shadab Khan at short fine leg while attempting a sweep. Glenn Maxwell, who has struggled throughout PSL 11, once again failed to deliver. He was dismissed for just 1 while attempting a reverse sweep off Imad Wasim, further denting Kingsmen’s hopes.
Amid the collapse, Muhammad Usman showed some resistance, remaining unbeaten on 22 and holding one end together. However, he received no support from the other batters as Islamabad United’s bowlers wrapped up the lower order with ease.
Kingsmen were eventually bowled out for 80, one of the lowest totals in PSL history. For Islamabad United, Richard Gleeson led the charge with 3 wickets for just 9 runs, while Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan picked up three wickets each, conceding 21 and 13 runs respectively.
