Islamabad United Clinches PSL Title for the Third Time, Defeating Multan Sultans by 2 Wickets
In the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 final held at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Islamabad United emerged victorious over Multan Sultans by 2 wickets, securing their third PSL championship.
Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to bat first for Multan Sultans. Yasir Khan and Rizwan opened the innings, facing the new ball from Naseem Shah. However, Yasir was dismissed early for 6 runs by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, followed by David Willey’s clean bowled dismissal, leaving Sultans at 14/2.
Despite a rocky start, Multan Sultans gained momentum, reaching 48/2 at the end of the powerplay. However, consistent dot deliveries from Islamabad’s bowlers resulted in Rizwan’s dismissal in the 10th over. By the halfway mark, Sultans were at 68/3.
Imad Wasim claimed his third wicket by sending Johnson Charles back to the pavilion in the 12th over. Usman Khan’s half-century off 36 balls helped Sultans reach 114/4 by the 15th over. However, strategic play after the strategic timeout led to Usman’s dismissal by Shadab.
SEE HIGHLIGHTS — PSL 9 Highlights
Usama Mir, sent as a pinch-hitter, managed a six before falling to Islamabad’s captain. Imad completed his fifer in the 17th over, dismissing Khushdil Shah and Chris Jordan on consecutive deliveries. Despite a late flourish by Iftikhar Ahmed, Multan Sultans posted 159/9, with Imad and Shadab being the key wicket-takers.
In response, Islamabad United’s Martin Guptill and Colin Munro opened the innings against Multan’s David Willey. Munro’s aggressive start, including three consecutive boundaries, was cut short by Khushdil Shah in the 4th over. Agha Salman followed suit, falling to Khushdil on the last ball of the powerplay, with Islamabad at 46/2.
Shadab’s dismissal in the 9th over by Iftikhar hindered Islamabad’s progress, reaching 61/3 at the mid-innings mark. Guptill’s resilient innings, marked by two maximums in the 11th over, helped Islamabad rebuild. However, his run-out in the 13th over slowed down their chase.
Despite contributions from Azam Khan and Haider Ali, Islamabad lost crucial wickets in the middle overs. It was Imad, Naseem, and Hunain Shah who guided Islamabad to victory in the last over, securing their third PSL title and becoming the first team to achieve this feat.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah proved effective with both bat and ball for Multan Sultans, while David Willey’s economical bowling was noteworthy. Imad Wasim was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional performance with both bat and ball, including a crucial 5-wicket haul and an unbeaten 19 runs.