KARACHI – Islamabad United defeated Karachi Kings by seven wickets in a match of the Pakistan Super League season nine (PSL 9) at National Stadium, Karachi, on Wednesday.
The opening by the hosts was not impressive as Shan Masood and Tim Seifert were dismissed for 27 and 8, respectively in early blows.
Leus du Plooy tried to recover the team from pressure as he made 24 off 15 before his removal by Agha Salman. Shoaib Malik could score only six runs.
At this point, Kieron Pollar played an unbeaten innings of 48 while Irfan Khan made 27, helping Kings to rack up a fighting total against United.
Earlier, Shadab Khan won the toss and put the hosts to bat first..
Kings are playing their first game at their home ground and will be aiming to maintain their winning streak in the marque event.
After a murky start to their PSL 9 campaign, Kings suffered a blow against Multan Sultans but made a comeback as they stunned Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars.
As of Feb 28, the team stands at fourth position in PSL 2024 league standings, while the Kings secured two wins from their three outings.
Shadab Khan led Islamabad United started the PSL 2024 campaign on a positive note but, their momentum was derailed by several upsets against Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators, and then Zalmi.
They are standing at fifth spot, the second last, in the points table with only a single win and three back-to-back losses. The red-hot squad now eye a comeback against Karachi Kings.
At Karachi Stadium’s pitch, the team winning toss is likely to opt to bat first to capitalise on the fresh pitch and aim for a substantial total.
Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi squad
Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (c), Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), James Vince, Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Nawaz, Irfan Khan, Daniel Sams, Hasan Ali, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mir Hamza
Islamabad United: Jordan Cox, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan (c), Agha Salman, Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Tymal Mills, Hunain Shah
Zalmi owner gifts brand new MG car to Babar Azam after PSL heroic knock
