Rawalpindi Rams won a super over thriller to claim their first T20 title after defeating Karachi Dolphins in the final of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup at the Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad on Friday night. The match was tied so the teams entered into a super over in which Rams hammered 17 runs and Dolphins could score seven for one.
In a match of fluctuating fortunes, it was Dolphins’ captain Mohammad Sami who gave 10 runs including a no ball in his fourth and the 19th over of the innings that brought Rams back into contention. Requiring nine runs for win, Umer Amin, who came to face Azam Hussain after a single on the first ball of the last over, struck a six on the second ball and then took a single to tie the score.
But the Rams tail failed to handle the pressure. Samiullah was caught at midwicket while Raza Hasan was stumped, leaving the match even. The tie brought the team into super over and the rest was history. Earlier, Sohail Khan brought Karachi Dolphins close to the win with his five wickets haul but the situation changed with every ball and the match which was in the grip of the Dolphins slipped away.
In front of a packed stadium, Rams fought till the last ball was bowled and kept their hopes alive. Chasing 164 for five of Dolphins, Rams mustered 164 for all out. The score was leveled due to the patience of Amin otherwise Rams’ all batsmen failed miserable.
