RAWALPINDI (Kashmir English): In today’s match, Islamabad United dominated Karachi Kings in all departments, claiming victory by 79 runs and taking second place on the PSL X points table.
With its win over the Kings, United closed out the group stage of the Pakistan Super League at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, confirming its berth in the playoffs along with Quetta Gladiators, Lahore Qalandars, and Karachi Kings.
Batting first, the host team racked up a mammoth 251 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs—the second-highest team total in PSL history. Hales was the star of the show, hammering 88 off just 35 balls, including 6 fours and 8 sixes.
Farhan anchored the innings with a fluent 73 off 41 deliveries before he was dismissed by Mir Hamza. Skipper Shadab Khan added fuel to the fire with a rapid 42 off 19 balls, while Haider Ali (19* off 9) and Ben Dwarshuis (10* off 4) provided a late flourish.
In reply, Karachi Kings faltered early and were eventually bundled out for 172 in 18.2 overs, falling well short of the 252-run target. Captain David Warner tried to mount a chase with a 28-ball 43, but wickets fell at regular intervals.
In the playoffs-leg, Quetta Gladiators will face Islamabad United in the qualifier on May 21 in Lahore, before Karachi Kings take on Lahore Qalandars in the first eliminator the following night. Eliminator 2 will be played on May 23, with the final taking place on May 25 in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Final PSL X Points Table
| Rank | Team | M | W | L | N/R | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quetta Gladiators (Q) | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1.393 |
| 2 | Islamabad United (Q) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0.372 |
| 3 | Karachi Kings (Q) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0.049 |
| 4 | Lahore Qalandars (Q) | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1.036 |
| 5 | Peshawar Zalmi | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | -0.293 |
| 6 | Multan Sultans | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | -2.449 |
