Islamabad United defeat Multan Sultans, crowned PSL 9 champions

KARACHI: In a nail-biting final, Islamabad United defeated Multan Sultans by two wickets to be crowned the champions of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in early hours of Tuesday.

Multan Sultans won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that would backfire as they managed to post a modest total of 159 runs for the loss of nine wickets.

Usman Khan scored for the Sultans with an impressive 57 off 40 balls, supported by Iftikhar Ahmed with 32 runs off 20 balls, and Mohammad Rizwan with 26 off 26 balls.

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However, Islamabad United’s bowlers restricted the Sultans’ batting lineup. Shadab Khan’s took 3 wickets for 32 runsm while Imad Wasim performed even better with 5 wickets while yielding 22 runs in his allotted four overs.

Chasing a target of 160 runs,Islamabad United got off to a good start with openers Colin Munro and Martin Guptill. Despite the team losing wickets, Guptill planted his feet firmly on the ground and scored a half-century with a score of 50 off 32 balls. Azam Khan and Imad Wasim also contributed with their bats in helping United chase the target.

The match took a turn as Multan Sultans fought back with quick wickets, putting Islamabad United under pressure. Multan Sultans’ bowlers put up a tough fight with Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah claiming two wickets each. Meanwhile, Usama Mir, Mohammad Ali, and David Willey took a single wicket each.

With the equation narrowing down to 31 runs off 17 runs for United, Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah managed to hold firm despite the onslaught from the Sultans’ bowlers.

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Despite a late scare, with a wicket on the second-last ball, Islamabad United managed to secure their victory on the final ball.

After a five-year hiatus, Islamabad United reclaimed the PSL winner’s title for the third time.