Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by two wickets in the 21st match of the Pakistan Super League season eight (PSL) to confirm their berth in the tournament's playoff stage.
The home side hunted down the 180-run target in 19.3 overs with two wickets to spare. The match was played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Islamabad had a dream start to their chase, scoring 77 runs at the cost of two wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0), and Alex Hales (12). Kiwi swashbuckling opener Collin Munro (63) tore apart Quetta's bowling lineup. The team's total was 96 in seven overs when he got out. His wicket opened the floodgates as the next three fell for just 15 runs, leaving Islamabad 111/6 in 11.1 overs.
Faheem Ashraf (39), and Azam Khan (35) rebuilt the innings without letting the asking rate slip away. With 31 required from the last three overs, Azam scored 13 off Naveen ul Haq's last over, who otherwise had been the most successful of Quetta's bowlers, to bring down the equation to 18 off 12. He then smashed Umaid Yusuf for another maximum but got caught at Fine Leg on the very next ball. The next three deliveries produced just two runs and a wicket of Hasan Ali (1).
Requiring 9 from the final over, Faheem Ashraf hit Odean Smith for three consecutive fours to seal the deal for Islamabad United.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators’ start was as horrible as their tournament has been so far. They were 19/4 after the powerplay, losing Yaris Khan (5), Will Smeed (0), Sarfaraz Ahmed (3), and Iftikhar Ahmed (2) in the process. They could have as well been booked for fewer than 100, had it not been for Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nawaz and Umar Akmal. The first two scored 59, and 52, respectively to put Quetta’s innings back on track, while Umar Akmal, with 14-ball 43, provided the much-needed pump down the order to power Quetta to 179/6.
PSL 2023 day 18: Azam stars as Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by six wickets
Points Table Update
With this win, Islamabad have amassed 10 points - enough to guarantee their place in the playoff. They have five wins from seven games and are placed second in the points table. Lahore Qalandars are still at the top with six wins from seven games and 12 points. Multan, with four wins from seven games, have slipped one place to the third. Peshawar Zalmi, who had been reeling at the fifth spot, jumped one place to the fourth after beating Karachi Kings on Wednesday. Karachi, with only two wins in seven games, are fifth in the points table. Quetta Gladiators remain at the bottom of the table with a solitary win in seven games.
Next Fixtures
In another crucial game on Monday, Quetta Gladiators will lock horns with Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium at 7:00 pm. Both sides will look to secure a win in order to stay alive in the tournament.
Past PSL Winners
PSL 2016 – Islamabad United
PSL 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
PSL 2018 – Islamabad United
PSL 2019 – Quetta Gladiators
PSL 2020 – Karachi Kings
PSL 2021 – Multan Sultans
PSL 2022 - Lahore Qalandars