Islamabad United won season 9 of Pakistan Super League (PSL) by 2 wickets over Multan Sultans at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Monday. Islamabad, headed by Shadab Khan, won their third PSL title in three years, becoming the event’s most successful team. After this loss, Muhammad Rizwan’s Multan Sultans lost three straight PSL finals.
Islamabad United win PSL 9 against Multan Sultans
Lahore Qalanders defeated Multan in the 2022 and 2023 finals. Islamabad United reached 160 runs on their last ball. Hunain Shah entered to bat with one run to win on the penultimate ball. Also, a smart young player took advantage of the gap at point and hit a four. Plus, After losing three wickets in the powerplay, Islamabad were 55-3 when their most experienced batter Martin Guptill and Azam Khan put them back in front with a 47-run partnership.
Guptill was run out after a little misunderstanding with Azam after 50 runs on 32 balls in 12.5 overs, leaving their team 102-4. As Azam looked back to the pavilion, eliminators’ heroes Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah scored 19 and 17 runs, respectively, down the order. The Sultans’ first innings bowler, Naseem Shah, was banned for straying outside the crease, giving Mohammad Rizwan another chance.
Sultans had little room to play when Imad Wasim removed the in-form Yasir Khan and David Willey in the second over. The wickets kept falling after Rizwan was out, but Usman attacked Islamabad’s bowlers.
After reaching 50, the UAE international left. Shadab Khan dismissed him for 57 runs on 40 balls. Iftikhar survived to enable Rizwan’s squad to meet the 130-run mark after the Sultans lost nine wickets for 127 in 18 overs. At 33, Iftikhar scored 32 runs in 20 balls with 4 fours and 6 sixes in the penultimate overs of his short cameo. Islamabad’s Imad’s five-wicket haul was his first PSL final haul.