PSL Result: Islamabad United Post Comfortable Win Over Karachi Kings; Colin Munro fires 47-ball 83

Colin Munro starred with a 47-ball 82 while chasing.

The left-handed opener had a decisive 108-run stand with his opening partner Alex Hales while chasing a target of 166 runs. This was Islamabad’s second victory this PSL and put them back in the top-four race for the play-offs while Karachi lost after winning their last two games.

In their opening home match of the season, Karachi’s top order labored on a slow track until Kieron Pollard struck an undefeated 48 to push the total to 165-5. After two wins and two losses, Karachi is down to four points.

Hales’s family commitment kept him out of Islamabad’s most recent match, but his return strengthened the top order for the two-time winner. Munro and Hales shared a game-winning 108 runs off 69 balls as he scored his second consecutive half-century and mastered pace and spin.

With eight fours and four sixes in his opening over, including an incredible reverse sweep six, Munro kept Tabraiz Shamsi off balance by hitting three consecutive sixes off the wrist-spinner.

Salman Ali Agha (25 not out) completed the run chase in style with two massive sixes off Hasan Ali. Munro attempted to cut the left-arm spinner, but misjudged the line of the delivery and was caught on the back foot. Mohammad Nawaz (1-23) trapped Munro leg before wicket.

Before Leus du Plooy (24) showed some aggression before being caught by offspinner Agha, Tim Siefert (8) of New Zealand was stumped in his season’s opening match. Islamabad locked down Karachi with spinners Imad Wasim (1-20) and Naseem Shah (1-29).

In the final five overs, Pollard and Irfan Khan (27 not out) counterattacked pace bowlers, with Naseem’s brother Hunain Shah taking 20 off the last over and Rumman Raees (0-45) giving up 30 off his final two overs. Islamabad had defeated Lahore Qalandars in the season opener, but have since lost to Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans, and Peshawar Zalmi.