Islamabad United defeated Multan Sultans by seven wickets in the 13th match of PSL 10 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night.
Chasing a target of 169, the visiting side cruised to victory. They reached the total with 17 balls remaining and only three wickets down.
However, the chase didn’t start smoothly. In-form opener Sahibzada Farhan lost his wicket early. He was removed by Ubaid Shah in the third over with just 29 on the board. Farhan managed 22 off 13 balls. His knock included three boundaries and one big six.
After the early setback, Colin Munro joined Alex Gous at the crease. The duo rebuilt the innings with an 81-run partnership. Munro played an aggressive knock, scoring 45 off 28 balls. He hit five fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Michael Bracewell in the 11th over.
Alex Gous anchored the innings for Islamabad United. He played a superb unbeaten innings of 80 runs. His 45-ball stay featured six crisp fours and five massive sixes. Gous also stitched a 55-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz, who chipped in with a 19-ball 21.
Among Multan’s bowlers, only three made breakthroughs. Chris Jordan, Ubaid Shah, and Bracewell took one wicket each. The rest of the bowling unit failed to strike.
Earlier, Multan Sultans decided to bat first. Their opening pair—skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Yasir Khan—started steadily. Together, they added 51 runs before Yasir was dismissed by Mohammad Nawaz in the seventh over.
Yasir, who had smashed a match-winning 87 just a day earlier, could only score 29 off 17 this time. His innings included two fours and two sixes.
Rizwan then formed a solid 65-run stand with Usman Khan. But the Multan skipper fell to his opposite number Shadab Khan. Rizwan made a slow 36 off 37 deliveries, finding the fence just three times.
Multan’s middle order stumbled. Michael Bracewell and Iftikhar Ahmed both departed cheaply. Usman Khan was the only batter to resist. He played a determined knock of 61 off 40 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes. Unfortunately, he was run out in the second-last over.
Kamran Ghulam added quick runs late in the innings. He scored 13 off just six balls, hitting a four and a six. The home side finished on 168 for 8.
In reply, Islamabad United showed their class. They chased the target with ease, thanks to strong partnerships and power hitting.
Shadab Khan’s team had four bowlers share the wickets. Shadab himself took one. So did Mohammad Nawaz, Jason Holder, and Riley Meredith.
With this win, the three-time champions proved their strength once again. It was a clinical performance from Islamabad United, both with bat and ball.
