ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United defeated Quetta Gladiators by 39 runs in the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9th edition at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday.
Islamabad won the toss and chose to bat first in the game, with Martin Guptill playing a 56-run knock from 47 deliveries.
Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan added 31 and 23 runs respectively to take Islamabad to 174/9. In return, Quetta were all out for 135 runs.
“Islamabad United clinch the first Eliminator by 39 runs,” PSL commented on X after the match.
Mohammad Amir and Akeal Hosein claimed two wickets each, while Saud Shakeel dismissed one Islamabad batter.
Chasing a 175-run target, Omair Yousuf hit a brilliant half century from 37 deliveries, but it was not enough.
Hosein and Amir scored 31 and 23 runs as Quetta crashed at 135 in the 19th over.
For Islamabad, left-arm spinner Imad Wasim claimed 3-12, pacer Naseem Shah dismissed two and Obed McCoy took one wicket.
Two-time former champion Islamabad will face off Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator on Saturday.
The winner will progress into Monday’s final against Multan Sultans.
Islamabad United thump Quetta Gladiators in PSL playoff
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Islamabad United thump Quetta Gladiators in PSL playoff
- Chasing a 175-run target, Omair Yousuf hit half century from 37 deliveries, but it was not enough for Quetta
- Martin Guptill played a 56-run knock, left-arm spinner Imad Wasim claimed 3-12 to guide Islamabad to victory
Pakistan says Indian minister initiated handshake in Dhaka, first contact since May conflict
- Pakistan’s Ayaz Sadiq and India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on the sidelines of Khaleda Zia’s funeral
- The National Assembly of Pakistan says Islamabad has consistently emphasized dialogue with New Delhi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar initiated a brief handshake with Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka, marking the first high-level contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals since their military conflict in May.
The encounter took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, attended by senior officials and diplomats from multiple countries.
Ties between India and Pakistan have remained frozen since a four-day military confrontation in May, during which both sides exchanged missile, drone and air strikes before a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
“During Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s visit to the Parliament of Bangladesh ... the Indian External Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar approached the Speaker National Assembly and [shook] hands,” Pakistan’s National Assembly said in a post on social media platform X.
It added that Jaishankar introduced himself to Sadiq during the brief interaction. India has not commented publicly on the exchange.
“It is noteworthy that Pakistan has consistently emphasized dialogue, restraint, and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks,” the post continued.
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated in April after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 20 tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied, calling instead for an independent and transparent investigation.
Officials from both countries have largely avoided public interactions since the conflict, with senior figures refraining from handshakes or exchanges at international gatherings.
Sadiq was in Dhaka to attend Zia’s funeral and to convey condolences from Pakistan’s leadership and people. He also met Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to Pakistan’s high commission in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV, Sadiq confirmed that Jaishankar approached him in full media glare and exchanged pleasantries.
Responding to a question about being photographed with the Indian minister, he said: “Cameras arrived with them. Our people took the photographs later.”
