LAHORE: Leading from the front, experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan steered Islamabad United to a resounding eight-wicket victory over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the opening match of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a big total of 196 on a batting-friendly track under lights, United were home in the 19th over when Shadab cracked a six off leg-spinner Salman Fayyaz.

Qalandars rued several missed chances, including two dropped catches of Shadab, who had made a bold move of promoting himself to number three.

Shadab smashed an unbeaten 74 off 41 balls, studded with six fours and five sixes, while Salman Ali Agha scored a breezy 64 not out off 31 (seven fours and three sixes). The two built a match-winning 138-run stand after Qalandars lost openers Colin Munro (five) and Alex Hales (28-ball 36), with 62 on the board in the eighth over.

Man-of -the-match Sha­dab was lucky twice, first in the 11th over when he was dropped on 22 by a Qalandars’ skipper Shah­een Shah Afridi over deep extra cover off pacer Haris Rauf. The United skipper got another life in the 14th over when Sahibzada Farhan gra­ssed a difficult chance at fine leg off paceman David Wiese.

After reaching the 100 mark in 10.5 overs, United never looked back as all Qalandars bowlers, including skipper Sha­heen (0-31), failed to make an impact.

In the 13th over, Qalandars missed another chance when Salman tried to take a quick run, but was nowhere near making it to the crease. Young Jahandad Khan, however, failed to hit the stumps.

Flying start

Earlier after being put in to bat, belligerent half-centuries from Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen steered Qalandars to a solid 195 for five off the stipulated overs.

Openers Farhan and Fakhar Zaman gave their side a flying start of 67, with Farhan scoring bulk of the runs.

Shadab, who proved pretty economical with 1-24, dismissed Fakhar for a run-a-ball 13 in the seventh over when the left-hander was caught by Faheem Ashraf at long-on.

Farhan was the next to go, caught behind off English paceman Tymal Mills in the 11th over. He miscued a shot, handing an easy catch to wicket-keeper Azam Khan. The opener, who completed his half-century off 29 balls, made 57 off 36 with eight fours and one six.

However, South Afri­can batter Van der Dussen (71 not out off 41) made sure Qalandars reach a huge total as they raced to 100 in the 12th over. He struck four fours and three sixes.

Abdullah Shafique (28 off 22), who added 73 runs alongside Van der Dussen for the third wicket, kept the scoreboard ticking when he blasted the second maximum of the match towards long-on in the 13th over by Mills.

Van der Dussen and Abdullah hit three sixes in the 15th over bowled by pacer Faheem, who gave away 22 runs in the over. United reached the 150-run mark in the 16th over.

Van der Dussen completed his half century off 31 balls in the 17th over.

Wiese (14 off eight) was dismissed in the penultimate over bowled by speedster Naseem Shah (1-36), who otherwise struggled to find venom and precision.

Scoreboard

LAHORE QALANDARS: Sahibzada Farhan c Azam b Mills 57
Fakhar Zaman c Faheem b Shadab 13
Rassie van der Dussen not out 71
Abdullah Shafique b Mills 28
David Wiese c Hales b Naseem 14
Shaheen Shah Afridi run out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-1, W-9) 12
TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs) 195
DID NOT BAT: Lorcan Tucker, Salman Fayyaz, Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-67 (Fakhar), 2-89 (Farhan), 3-162 (Abdullah), 4-178 (Wiese), 5-195 (Shaheen)
BOWLING: Naseem 4-0-36-1 (2w, 1nb), Ubaid 1-0-15-0, Faheem 3-0-40-0, Imad 4-0-33-0 (2w), Shadab 4-0-24-1 (1w), Mills 4-0-45-2

ISLAMABAD UNITED: Colin Munro lbw b Zaman 5
Alex Hales c&b Salman 36
Shadab Khan not out 74
Salman Ali Agha not out 64

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-8, NB-1, W-8) 21
TOTAL (for two wickets, 18.2 overs) 200
DID NOT BAT: Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Ubaid Shah, Tymal Mills
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-41 (Munro), 2-62 (Hales)
BOWLING: Shaheen 4-0-31-0 (3w), Zaman 3-0-33-1 (2w), Jahandad 4-0-39-0 (2w, 1nb), Haris 3-0-38-0, Salman 2.2-0-23-1, Wiese 2-0-24-0
RESULT: Islamabad United won by eight wickets.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2024