KARACHI: Karachi made an appearance on a Monday night at the National Bank Stadium here. When it counted most, the venue—which had been criticized for its poor attendance during the season—saw a packed house.
And the final of the HBL Pakistan Super League did not let down. The spectators witnessed a thrilling match that culminated in Multan Sultans players losing yet another final, this time by two wickets, and Islamabad United skipper Shadab Khan raising the team’s third PSL title.
It was all due to Imad Wasim’s anxieties; he was seen calming them down with a cigarette earlier in the changing room, following his first-ever five-wicket haul in a PSL final.
After a difficult start for United that saw them lose three wickets for 55 runs by the ninth over in their chase of 160 runs, Imad came to the crease after Martin Guptill was run out after reaching a half-century and setting up 47 with Azam Khan.
The Multan Sultans suffer a third-straight final defeat.
After Azam, Haider Ali, and Faheem Ashraf fell cheaply to Imad, United was reduced to 129-6 and required 31 runs in just three overs.
Entering with recollections of brutal knocks that ended matches against Afghanistan, Naseem Shah clobbered Iftikhar Ahmed for a massive six over square-leg. Imad responded with two square drives for two more boundaries, one spectacular and the other streaky.
After a leg-bye tied the score, Naseem (17 off 9) swatted it off Mohammad Ali like a pro hitter for four more. However, on the penultimate ball, he edged a bouncer behind Multan captain and wicketkeeper Rizwan.
Properly, he had left that one, game-winning run for his brother Hunain to score. The right-hander managed to squeeze it through the off-side in-field for a boundary, taking United beyond the finish line as the team’s entire camp sprinted into the dirt. The players from United hoisted the Palestinian flags as they celebrated their victory lap. With 19 off 17 against his name, Imad jumped in.
Earlier, in the final two overs of the innings, an Iftikhar assault lifted Multan to a competitive total.
The right-hander surprised everyone by coming into the bat at number eight after Multan put tailenders David Willey and Usama Mir up the order.
The trade obviously did not materialize as Iftikhar was given the opportunity to prove his worth as Imad and Shadab tore through the Sultans’ lineup.
Chants of “Chacha, Chacha” reverberated throughout the stands as the big hitter hit his maiden six in the 19th over, hitting medium bowler Tymal Mills out of the park. The very next ball, he cleared midwicket for another.
Naseem’s incredible performance of nine runs in three overs was spoiled by Iftikhar, who swung for four more in the last over, cleared backward square for another maximum, and added a boundary on a no ball. Naseem finished with 25 runs in four overs.
Usman Khan struck 57 off 40, his fourth fifty-plus performance of the season, and Rizwan’s 53-run partnership with him held the innings together. Iftikhar’s unbeaten 32 off 20 gave the innings the much-needed boost.
At the midway point, Shadab broke the stand, and six overs later, he got Usman and Usama.
Imad added the scalps of Khushdil and Chris Jordan to his record on consecutive balls in the 18th over, which also saw Abbas Afridi get run out thanks to a bullet throw by Shadab. Imad had already removed opener Yasir Khan, Willey, and Johnson Charles in his first session and in the 12th over.
