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| Photo: PCB |
Initially, Islamabad seemed poised for a comfortable win as openers Luke Ronchi and Sahibzada Farhan provided a blazing start, putting on 96 runs for the first wicket in just 8.4 overs. Ronchi's quickfire 52 off 26 balls set the tone, but a sudden flurry of wickets derailed their progress. Peshawar's Hasan Ali struck twice in quick succession, triggering a collapse that saw Islamabad lose several wickets in a short span.
The turning point came in the 15th over when Asif Ali was dropped by Kamran Akmal, resulting in Islamabad gaining crucial runs off the missed opportunity. Asif capitalized on this stroke of luck, smashing three consecutive sixes off Hasan Ali in the 16th over, effectively sealing the match in Islamabad's favor.
Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi's innings had faltered after opting to bat first, with Kamran Akmal struggling to get going before falling early to Samit Patel. Despite Chris Jordan and Liam Dawson's valuable contributions, including a vital partnership that stabilized the innings, Peshawar could only muster 148/9 in their 20 overs. Shadab Khan and Hussain Talat's bowling efforts restricted Peshawar's middle order, setting up Islamabad's chase.
In the end, Islamabad United's roller-coaster journey in the final encapsulated their season's resilience and ability to overcome setbacks, culminating in a triumphant victory and the PSL title once again.
Brief Scores: Peshawar Zalmi 148/9 in 20 overs (Chris Jordan 36, Liam Dawson 33; Shadab Khan 3-25, Hussain Talat 2-18) Islamabad United 154/7 in 16.5 overs (Luke Ronchi 52, Sahibzada Farhan 44; Chris Jordan 2-22, Wahab Riaz 2-28)
Result: Islamabad United won by three wickets
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