ISLAMABAD: In the opening match of the 9th HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 championship, Islamabad United, two-time champions, secured a notable 8-wicket win against the reigning champions Lahore Qalandars, with 10 balls to spare, following their decision to field first.
The choice to bowl first paid off for Islamabad, despite a strong start from their adversaries.
Sahibzada Farhan led the charge with a brisk 57 from 36 balls, while Rassie van der Dussen’s aggressive play yielded 71 runs off 41 balls, anchoring the innings.
Lahore’s innings also saw an early setback when opener Fakhar Zaman (13) was dismissed by captain Shadab Khan, failing to clear the field and caught by Faheem Ashraf, curtailing a promising start.
Despite losing 5 wickets, Lahore left a tough target of 196 by the end of their 20-over innings.
In response, Islamabad got off to a confident start, scoring 50 runs in the powerplay while only losing Colin Munro in the process.
An unbeaten knock of 74 by Shadab Khan, which included a 138-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha (64 not out) for the third wicket, led Islamabad to an impressive victory.
Lahore were able to give a competitive target to Islamabad due to van der Dussen’s unbeaten knock, which included four fours and three sixes.
The South African batter, who had featured for United in the last PSL edition, brought up his maiden half-century in the game off just 31 balls.
For Islamabad, Naseem Shah, who returned to competitive cricket after a gap of almost six months, took one wicket for 36 runs.
Leg-spinner Shadab, also came back from injury, giving away 24 runs while bagging a solitary wicket in his quota of four overs.
Tymal Mills was the most successful bowler for Islamabad, getting two wickets for 45 runs in four overs.
Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium would host two matches on Sunday. The first one will be between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, while the second will bring Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings face to face with each other.
Islamabad United outplays Lahore Qalandars in PSL opener with convincing 8-wicket win
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Islamabad United outplays Lahore Qalandars in PSL opener with convincing 8-wicket win
- The choice to bowl first paid off for Islamabad, despite a strong start from their adversaries who set a 196-run target
- Shadab Khan’s unbeaten knock of 74 powered Islamabad to an impressive victory against the defending champions
Pakistan’s Sindh orders inquiry after clashes at Imran Khan party rally in Karachi
- Khan’s PTI party accuses police of shelling to disperse its protesters, placing hurdles to hinder rally in Karachi
- Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah vows all those found guilty in the inquiry will be punished
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province has ordered an inquiry into clashes that took place between police and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Karachi on Sunday, as it held a rally to demand his release from prison.
The provincial government had granted PTI permission to hold a public gathering at Karachi’s Bagh-i-Jinnah Park and had also welcomed Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Khan’s party is in power, when he arrived in the city last week. However, the PTI cited a delay in receiving a permit and announced a last-minute change to a gate of Mazar-i-Quaid, the mausoleum of the nation’s founder.
Despite the change, PTI supporters congregated at the originally advertised venue. PTI officials claimed the party faced obstacles in reaching the venue and that its supporters were met with police intervention. Footage of police officers arresting Khan supporters in Karachi were shared widely on social media platforms.
“A complete inquiry is being held and whoever is found guilty in this, he will be punished,” Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said while speaking to a local news channel on Sunday.
Shah said the PTI had sought permission to hold its rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah in Karachi from the Sindh government, even though the venue’s administration falls under the federal government’s jurisdiction.
He said problems arose when the no objection certificate to hold the rally was delayed for a few hours and the party announced it would hold the rally “on the road.”
The rally took place amid rising tensions between the PTI and Pakistan’s military and government. Khan, who remains in jail on a slew of charges he says are politically motivated since August 2023, blames the military and the government for colluding to keep him away from power by rigging the 2024 general election and implicating him in false cases. Both deny his allegations.
Since Khan was ousted in a parliamentary vote in April 2022, the PTI has complained of a widespread state crackdown, while Khan and his senior party colleagues have been embroiled in dozens of legal cases.
