Islamabad United dominates Karachi Kings with convincing 8-wicket victory

KARACHI: Islamabad United delivered a commanding all-round performance at the National Stadium, cruising to an emphatic 8-wicket win over Karachi Kings by comfortably chasing down a 151-run target with 24 balls to spare.

Sameer Minhas led the charge with a match-winning 58 off 36 balls, earning Player of the Match honours for anchoring the innings with composure and intent. He found solid support in Devon Conway, who remained unbeaten on 53 off 36 deliveries, ensuring there were no hiccups in the chase. Captain Shadab Khan applied the finishing touches with an unbeaten brisk 31 off 16 balls as Islamabad sealed victory in just 16 overs.

For Karachi Kings, Moeen Ali bowled tightly, returning figures of 1-14, while Hasan Ali picked up one wicket but struggled to contain the flow of runs.

Earlier, Islamabad United’s decision to bowl first paid dividends as they restricted Karachi Kings to 150-6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Reeza Hendricks stood firm with an unbeaten 51 off 44 balls, anchoring the innings, while Jason Roy (39 off 27) and Azam Khan (34 off 29) made useful contributions. However, the Kings failed to accelerate in the death overs, leaving them with a below-par total.

Islamabad’s bowlers maintained discipline throughout, with Richard Gleeson (2-22) and Shadab Khan (2-28) leading the attack, while Faheem Ashraf chipped in with one wicket.

Match Summary

Karachi Kings: 150-6 (20 overs)

Islamabad United: 153-2 (16 overs)

Result: Islamabad United won by 8 wickets

Venue: National Stadium Karachi