Karachi Kings defeated Islamabad United by 04 wickets to move into semifinals of the HBL Pakistan Super League5 (PSL) at National Stadium here on Saturday. Chasing victory target of 137, Karachi raced home for the loss of six wickets. Opener Sharjeel Khan played a fine knock of 37 to help his team knock Islamabad, the two time champions, out of the tournament and become the second team to secure the semifinal berth after Multan Sultans. Karachi chased down the modest target with four balls spare as Umaid Asif hit the winning runs by dispatching Rumman Raees for a boundary over mid-off fielder. Karachi were on their way to a comfortable win when Islamabad captain Shadab Khan dismissed Cameron Delport (11 off 24) and Iftikhar Ahmed (one off four) in the middle-phase of the innings which lightened up the contest. Zafar Gohar dismissed Karachi’s captain Imad Wasim (26 off 34) on the first ball of the 17th over as the home side slipped to 106 for five from to 90 for two. Karachi were provided a blistering start by Sharjeel, later named man of the match for his 14-ball 37.
He smashed two sixes and two fours off Musa Khan in the first over of the run chase. The left-handed opener spanked Zafar for two consecutive sixes in the next over to help Karachi pile up 35 runs from the first two overs. Sharjeel put a sparkling 60-run opening stand – stretching across first five overs – with Babar Azam (19 off 20). Sharjeel was Karachi’s first wicket to fall as he was trapped LBW by Akif Javed and Babar followed him back in the next over as Karachi lost both openers without any score added to the total. A 30-run partnership between Delport and Imad followed which provided stability to the run chase.
Earlier, Islamabad, asked to bat first, made 136 for the loss of six wickets. With 37, Hussain Talat top-scored for Islamabad. The all-rounder struck four fours in his 30 ball stay. Islamabad looked on course of setting a high total as they were 76 for two by the end of the first half of their innings with Hussain well-set at the crease and in-form Shadab, the fourth highest run-getter this season, joining him. But, the dismissal of Shadab (12 off 14) by Arshad Iqbal on the penultimate ball of the 11th over turned the innings on its head as Islamabad managed only 54 runs in the last nine overs. The wicket of Hussain on the last ball of the 14th over off Iftikhar’s off-spin sparked a brief collapse as Islamabad lost three wickets for 19 runs and slipped to 116 for six from 97 for three. Umaid Asif, Chris Jordan, Imad, Arshad and Iftikhar picked up a wicket each, while Colin Ingram, Islamabad last wicket to fall, was run-out.