Karachi Kings crash out of PSL after 7th consecutive defeat as Islamabad United eke out 1-run victory

SportsTak

Islamabad United's left-arm fast bowler Waqas Maqsood dropped a catch off his final ball but still ran out Chris Jordan of Karachi Kings to clinch a dramatic one-run victory in the Pakistan Super League.

 

Karachi, led by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, agonizingly finished on 190-8 for their seventh loss in a row and were eliminated from the playoff race with three league games still to go.

 

Islamabad jumped to No. 3 with eight points from seven games behind table-toppers Multan Sultans (12 points) and Lahore Qalandars (10 points).

 

Imad Wasim (55) and Pakistan Under-19 captain Qasim Akram (51 not out) had narrowed Karachi's target to eight runs off the final over with their 108-run sixth-wicket stand, thanks to at least three dropped catches by the sloppy Islamabad fielders.

 

Wasim hammered Maqsood (3/34) to fine leg for a boundary off the second ball before he holed out at mid-off off the next delivery.

Needing two runs off the last two deliveries, Maqsood held his nerve to clean bowl Jordan Thompson off a slower delivery before hitting the wickets at the non-striker's end after dropping Jordan's return catch.

 

Little cameos from Faheem Ashraf (29 off 10 balls) and Asif Ali (28 off 11 balls) had earlier lifted Islamabad total to 191/7 with left-arm spinner Wasim picking up 2/30.

 

Islamabad sorely missed their skipper Shadab Khan, who had to leave the field with a strained groin while fielding in only the second over of Karachi run-chase. Asif perfectly filled the shoes of his skipper and chipped in with 2/27 and could have got few more had Islamabad held on to their catches.

 

It was an all-around performance from the Islamabad United's batters as they all delivered with the bat after a slow start to the game.

Batting first, Shadab Khan was the top scorer of Islamabad United as he scored 34 runs in 26 balls before getting bowled out by Imad Wasim.

 

Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf also scored blistering innings, Asif scored 28 while Faheem scored 29.

Imad Wasim was the standout bowler for the Kings as he took two wickets at the expense of 30 runs in four overs.