Islamabad United chased down a target of 196 runs with relative ease to beat two-time defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the season-opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Saturday. (Streaming | More Cricket News)
United captain Shadab Khan won the toss and asked Shaheen Afridi's Qalandars to set a target in a clash two most successful teams in PSL history. Opener Sahibzada Farhan hit 57 runs off 37 balls before Rassie van der Dussen's 41-ball unbeaten 71.
Tymal Mills took a brace for figures of 2/45, while skipper Khan (1/24) and Naseem Shah (1/36) claimed a wicket each. Ubaid Shah, Naseem's younger brother, conceded 15 runs in his only over. Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim also went wicketless.
A total of 195/5, however, failed to intimidate former champions on a batting paradise. Also, with dew playing its part, the chase became a straightforward one, as it turned out!
An opening stand of 41 runs in five overs between Colin Munro (5 off 11) and Alex Hales (36 off 28) provided United the foundation they needed to overhaul a big total. The openers did fall in quick time, with Hales joining Munro in the hut in the 8th over. But Shadab Khan (74 off 41) and Agha Salman (64 off 31) stitched an unbeaten 138-run stand to complete the chase with 10 balls to spare against the fellow two-time champions.
Shaheen Afridi, who was elevated to Pakistan national team captaincy during the tour of New Zealand, endured a forgetful night, sending down four overs without success (0/31). Other Lahore Qalandars bowlers also failed to make a mark, except probably for Zaman Khan (1/33) and Salman Fayyaz (1/23). Haris Rauf (0/38 in 3), David Wiese (0/24 in 2) and Jahandad Khan (0/39 in 4) went wicketless.
Lahore Qalandars will take on Quetta Gladiators in their next match at the same venue on Monday, while Islamabad United travel to Multan for a clash with Multan Sultans on Tuesday.
Launched in 2016 with five teams, the PSL now sees six teams with Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi being the other two teams. Multan Sultans joined the PSL bandwagon in 2018. All six teams lifted the coveted trophy at least once -- Islamabad United in 2016 and 2018; Karachi Kings in 2020; Lahore Qalandars in 2022 and 2023; Multan Sultans in 2021; Peshawar Zalmi in 2017; Quetta Gladiators in 2019.
A total of 34 games will be played in four venues -- 11 in Karachi, nine each in Lahore and Rawalpindi, and five in Multan. The qualifier, eliminators, and the final will be played at National Stadium, Karachi. The knockouts will begin on March 14 with the Qualifier, then Eliminators on March 15 and 16. The final is scheduled for March 18.
In India, the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League can be streamed live on Fancode (website and app). There is no live broadcast on TV. In Pakistan, all the PSL matches can be watched on ARY and Ten Sports platforms. Live streaming of PSL cricket matches is also available on Snack Video, Begin, Myco, Tapmad and Tamasha.
Elsewhere, HBL PSL 9 (for sponsorship reasons), can be watched on Sky Sports and Sky Go app (United Kingdom), Fox Cricket (Australia), Willow TV (United States of America), Sky Sports NZ (New Zealand), Super Sport TV (Sub-Sahara and Africa), Flow Sports (West Indies), Tampad (Bangladesh and Nepal), Cricbuzz and Starzplay E-vision (Middle East and North Africa, and South East Asia), and Sports Central YouTube and Facebook platforms (rest of the world).
