Islamabad United kicked off their Pakistan Super League (PSL X) campaign in style. They crushed Lahore Qalandars by eight wickets in the tournament opener on Friday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. Colin Munro played a mature knock, staying unbeaten on 59 from 42 balls. His classy innings helped United chase the 140-run target with 14 balls to spare.
The left-hander held his ground even after early blows. Sahibzada Farhan contributed 25 runs before Haris Rauf removed him. Andries Gous, playing his debut match in the PSL, could only score four. Asif Afridi clean-bowled him after he had hit a single boundary.
Despite the shaky start, Islamabad United showed composure. Munro took charge and guided his side home. The experienced New Zealand batter made sure there were no further hiccups in the chase.
Earlier in the evening, United’s bowlers completely dominated the game. Jason Holder was the star with the ball. He picked up 4 wickets for just 26 runs. His spell dismantled Lahore’s batting lineup. Shadab Khan supported him well with three wickets for 25 runs. Naseem Shah (1-38), Riley Meredith (1-26), and Imad Wasim (1-21) also chipped in with a wicket each.
Lahore Qalandars collapsed under pressure. They managed just 139 before being bowled out inside 20 overs. Only Abdullah Shafique (66) and Sikandar Raza (23) put up a fight with the bat. The rest struggled against the fierce bowling attack from Islamabad United.
Qalandars had a horror start. They lost three quick wickets early. Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for 1. Mohammad Naeem scored only 8. Daryl Mitchell fell for 13. Things went from bad to worse when Sam Billings got out without troubling the scorers.
Abdullah Shafique showed some class and tried to stabilize the innings. But wickets kept tumbling around him. Jahandad Khan departed for a duck as Jason Holder struck again. On the very next ball, Holder sent back David Wiese. He wasn’t done yet. The West Indian fast bowler also removed Qalandars’ skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, who managed only 2 off 7 balls.
The dominance of Islamabad United with the ball set the tone. Their tight bowling never allowed Qalandars to recover. Once the batting innings began, Munro’s calm approach ensured an easy victory.
Earlier, Islamabad United had won the toss and opted to bowl first. Their decision paid off brilliantly.
A major highlight was Andries Gous making his PSL debut. He had impressed in the 2024 T20 World Cup while representing the USA. However, his first outing in the PSL didn’t go as planned.
Team Line-ups:
Islamabad United:
Andries Gous, Sahibzada Farhan, Colin Munro, Salman Agha, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan (capt), Jason Holder, Muhammad Shahzad, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Riley Meredith.
Lahore Qalandars:
Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Naeem, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi (capt), Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi.
Islamabad United’s victory was convincing. With both bat and ball, they outclassed Lahore Qalandars. Their powerful all-round show marks a solid start to their PSL X journey.
