The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That was a comprehensive victory for Islamabad United. They remain 2nd in the points table while the Quetta Gladiators keep languishing at the bottom of the table with just a solitary win from 5 games. The PSL will continue on Sunday, after a day's break with Karachi Kings slated to lock horns against the Multan Sultans. Keep following Sportskeeda for all the latest sporting actions. For now, this is all we have from the commentary box. This is me, Arya Sekhar Chakraborty signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Karthik Raj.
Shadab Khan (Islamabad United captain): This is team game not an individual game but the way Azam played today, I haven’t seen a better innings than that. He has self belief. He is the son of a former cricketer which puts more pressure on him but the way he came out today it was great. Positive signs for us. This is a team game and in T20s most of the days goes badly. We look at the match-ups, I wanted to test my team today and batted first. I wanted to check my bowlers, especially in a match when it;’s a belter. It’s never easy to execute the yorker with dew in play. We are a data franchise but I give more importance to my gut feeling. It comes from the almighty so I believe more in that.
Azam Khan (Player of the Match): Yeah, surely one of my best T20 knocks because we were like 70/3. Today I was lucky enough that it paid off, I am very happy. I think it’s all because of my dad. He has made me tough, He knows that it’s not easy to be a son of a foreigner cricketer. He must be really happy but he will be sad as well as his team lost. As I said, relations doesn’t matter when you are in the crwase. I am sure he is gonna be happy for me. I usually go for range-htting. I have a belief that I can change the game whenever I am batting.
Time for the post-match presentation ceremony.
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators captain): Was not expecting the sort of innings Azam played. The way he played in the end was just amazing. A lot of his sixes were off good balls and I can't praise him enough for it. We did not execute our plans in the last four overs. When you have such a big score in front of you, and when your top three batters get out, it becomes difficult. We have a 4-5 days gap and we will talk to the boys, field better, bowl well and bat a lot better.
Asif Ali: . First of all, congrats to everyone for Islamabad United's victory. Me and Azam decided we'll see the ball for 1-2 overs but then stick to our strengths and hit whatever is possible. We selected the areas we want to hit. Azam was hitting everything he wanted, so I just tried to give him the strike. This is my 8th year here, and what I like about this time is the unity. The bench players support us and encourage us more than the players itself, this unity is what keeps our camp in good spirits.
Islamabad United won by 64 runs
Islamabad United 220/6 in 20 overs Azam Khan 97(42) | Asif Ali 41(24) | Odean Smith 2/41(2)
Quetta Gladiators 157 all-out in 19.1 overs Mohammad Hafeez 48(26) | Sarfaraz Ahmed 41(36) | Fazalhaq Farooqi 3/38(3.1) | Hasan Ali 3/39(4) | Abrar Ahmed 2/21(4) | Shadab Khan 2/24(4)
Martin Guptill and Jason Roy needed to get them off to a great start in the powerplay if they harbored hopes of chasing 221. However, the start was exactly the opposite of what they had hoped. Fazalhaq Farooqi castled Martin Guptill with a peach of a delivery while Abrar Ahmed accounted for Jason Roy in his very first over.
Will Smeed struck a couple of powerful strokes before trying to sweep Abrar and getting his stumps rattled. Mohammad Hafeez was joined in by Sarfaraz Ahmed in the middle as the duo tried to somehow resurrect the run chase. Hafeez got off to a flying start and all of a sudden, the Gladiators were back in the reckoning. He timed the ball brilliantly and kept finding the gaps on a consistent basis.
Sarfaraz also started off well but got stuck in the middle overs and couldn’t quite hit the gaps. It put pressure on Hafeez with the required rate hovering around the 13 run mark. They needed to keep the acceleration going but the wicket of Hafeez firmly put Islamabad in control of proceedings. Sarfaraz struggled his way to 41 off 36 deliveries before falling to Abrar Ahmed.
Iftikhar Ahmed struck some lusty blows and tried to reduce the margin of victory but in the end, it was a mountain too steep to climb. He was eventually dismissed by Hasan Ali in the penultimate over as their challenge fizzled out in the final over. They were bowled out for 157, handing them a comprehensive 64-run victory.
Hasan Ali and Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets each to their name while Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan also chipped in with a couple of wickets. Earlier in the day, it was Shadab Khan who won the toss and surprisingly opted to bat. Riding on an exhibition of strokeplay from Azam Khan who smashed it to all parts, Islamabad United scored 220 in their allotted 20 overs and almost batted Quetta out of the game.
It was a rather straightforward victory for the Islamabad United as they thrashed the Quetta Gladiators by 64 runs to register their 3rd victory of the tournament. Once, they had scored 220 after opting to bat first, it was always going to be an unrealistic run chase for the Gladiators. They lost early wickets and then couldn’t find the boundaries in the middle overs. Eventually the run chase fizzled out rather tamely but not before Iftikhar Ahmed slammed a few lusty blows out if the park.
19.1 Fazalhaq Farooqi to Mohammad Hasnain, AS EASY AS IT GETS!! Quick short delivery, Hasnain looks to pull but he top-edges it down the pitch. Farooqi doesn't have to move much as he takes a simple return catch! So, Quetta have been rolled over for 157 as Islamabad United register an impressive 63-run victory!
Mohammad Hasnain c&b Fazalhaq Farooqi 1 (2b 4x0 6x0)
Fazalhaq Farooqi [3-0-28-2] comes back into the attack.
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National Stadium, Karachi
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