Quetta Gladiators secured their place in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final after defeating Islamabad United in a thrilling playoff match. Quetta showed their full strength in the end-of-season playoffs by failing to lose the final qualifiers round match at a whopping score of 209 runs. In reply, Islamabad faltered badly and were bowled out for a meager 179 runs.
The match commenced with Finn Allen driving the start of the Quetta innings, setting an aggressive tone from early on. His efforts were further aided by Faheem Ashraf, who contributed a crucial 95 runs in tandem with Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal was especially influential, marking his return to the franchise with a fine knock of 48 not out as Champions lifted themselves to a formidable 209 for six.
In reply, Islamabad’s innings was anchored early on by the superlative opening partnership of Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen. The duo were fantastic throughout, providing a commanding opening partnership of 71 runs before the first wicket – Stokes – fell in the seventh over. The momentum shifted when Faheem Ashraf caught Alex Hales for a two-ball duck, marking a pivotal moment in the match.
Salman Ali Agha took advantage of this window and moved Islamabad to the front. He made a blistering 44 off only 26 balls. Fretting for Islamabad, he was dismissed by Usman Tariq as well. Tariq produced a stunning comeback performance as the man-of-the-match, grabbing 3 wickets for a mere 32 runs. Despite some promising starts, Islamabad’s batting lineup faltered as they struggled against Quetta’s bowling attack.
In the end, Islamabad United were unable to chase down the steep target of 210 runs and were all out for 179 runs. This defeat shot Quetta to their first ever PSL final. At the other end of the league stage, Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalanders finished third and fourth on the table in regular season.
Leave a Reply