Rawalpindi: The 10th season of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicked off with an exciting clash as Islamabad United defeated defending champions Lahore Qalandars by 8 wickets in the opening match held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
After winning the toss, Islamabad United opted to field first, putting Lahore Qalandars into bat. The Qalandars were bowled out in the final over, posting a total of 139 runs on the board. Abdullah Shafique was the standout performer with a brilliant 66-run knock, which included 3 sixes and 6 boundaries. Sikandar Raza added 23 runs, while Haris Rauf and Mohammad Naeem chipped in with 10 and 8 runs, respectively. The rest of the batting lineup struggled, with Shaheen Afridi, Asif Afridi, Sam Billings, Jahandad Khan, and David Wiese contributing little to the scoreboard.
For Islamabad United, Jason Holder delivered an impressive performance, taking 4 wickets and playing a key role in restricting the opposition.
In response, Islamabad United chased down the 140-run target comfortably in the 18th over, losing just 2 wickets. Colin Munro led the charge with an unbeaten 59 runs, hitting 1 six and 7 fours. He was well-supported by Salman Agha, who also remained not out on 41. Sahibzada Farhan provided a quick start, scoring 25 runs off 24 balls, including 3 sixes.
From the bowling side, Asif Afridi and Haris Rauf took one wicket each for Lahore Qalandars.
