Islamabad United clinched their third Pakistan Super League (PSL) title, defeating Multan Sultans by two wickets at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Monday.
The thrilling encounter reached its climax on the final ball when Hunain Shah, facing one run to win, expertly found the gap at point and struck the ball for a boundary.
Despite a shaky start where Islamabad lost three wickets in the powerplay and were at 55-3, a vital 47-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Azam Khan put them back in control.
However, Guptill’s run-out for a well-made 50 off 32 balls, due to a misunderstanding with Azam, left Islamabad at 102-4 in 12.5 overs.
As the innings progressed, Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah made significant contributions down the order, scoring 19 and 17 runs respectively, after Azam’s departure.
In the first innings, Multan Sultans faced an early setback as their captain, Mohammad Rizwan, was dismissed by Islamabad’s speedster Naseem Shah in the opening over, only to be reprieved due to a no-ball. Imad Wasim’s brilliance saw the back of Yasir Khan and David Willey in the second over, keeping the pressure on the Sultans.
Despite losing two wickets early, Multan displayed composure, with Rizwan and Usman Khan stitching together a vital 53-run partnership.
However, Rizwan’s departure in the 10th over after scoring 26 runs dented their momentum. Usman Khan continued to anchor the innings, reaching a half-century but was eventually dismissed by Shadab Khan after contributing 57 runs off 40 balls.
Following Usman’s dismissal, Multan struggled to build partnerships, but Iftikhar’s late surge propelled them to a competitive total. Iftikhar’s cameo of 32 runs off 20 balls, featuring three fours and as many sixes, proved crucial in guiding Multan to a respectable score.
In the bowling department, Imad Wasim shone for Islamabad, claiming five wickets and becoming the first player to achieve a five-wicket haul in a PSL final. Skipper Shadab Khan also made significant contributions with three wickets.
