Opener Luke Ronchi scripted a comfortable seven wickets win for the Islamabad United against Karachi Kings in Saturday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) match at the Sharjah Cricket Ground.
In-form Ronchi scored 67 of 35 with eight fours and three sixes, neurtralising the Kings’ pace attack led by Muhammad Amir and Usman Shinwari.
The only relief to the Kings was provided by skipper Imad Wasim, who dismissed Sahibzada Farhan and Hussain Talat in his over. Samit Patel assisted the team with his valuable 44-run innings.
Ben Dunk and Aamir Yameen’s death over slogging gave a saving grace to the Imad Wasim-led Karachi Kings by taking the team to 143 runs after a shambolic batting collapse against Islamabad United.
Dunk scored 49 of 32 balls with two boundaries on 153.12 strike rate, while Aamir Yameen played a knock of 39 of 20 with three boundaries and two sixes.
Opener Babar Azam scored 27 of 21 with 4 boundaries in an innings dominated by spectacular bowling display of Faheem Ashraf who picked three wickets of 26 runs.
Meanwhile, for Kings, youngster Muhammad Musa and Rumman Raees picked one wicket each.
Imad Wasim-led Kings currently sit at the bottom of the points table after having accumulated just two points from three games, while United have four points from four games.
The Kings who had kicked off their PSL campaign on a winning note against Multan Sultans lost their next game by 22 runs to Lahore Qalandars, and then by 44 runs to last year’s runner-up Peshawar Zalmi.
United also started the tournament with a five-wicket against Qalandars but lost their next game to Sultans by five wickets, followed by a seven-wicket thumping at the hands of Quetta Gladiators. The Mohammad Sami-led team, however, changed things around and beat Zalmi by 12 runs.
With Mohammad Amir leading the bowling attack for Kings and Umer Khan in the midst, Karachi will defiantly have plenty to work with.
