Islamabad United’s all-rounder Imad Wasim’s wife Sannia Ashfaq was seen in a joyful mood after the left-handed batter guided his side to a crucial victory in a Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 match against Multan Sultans in Rawalpindi on Sunday.
Imad came to bat when Islamabad were 181-6 in 16.1 overs and required 48 runs on 23 balls with no proper batter awaiting to come after him.
The 35-year-old continued to contribute runs but the real responsibility fell on his shoulders when United required 7 runs on 2 balls while Abbas Afridi was bowling.
Imad hit a six and a four on the last two balls to take his side over the line and cement their place in the PSL 9 playoffs.
Imad Wasim’s wife was sitting in the stands and she couldn’t hide her happiness after her husband stood up in a must-win match against the Sultans.
Earlier, chasing the target of 229 runs, Islamabad met with early blows as two of their top-order batters, Alex Hales and Salman Ali Agha, lost their wickets within the first two overs.
However, after losing two early wickets, United’s skipper Shadab Khan came to bat and formed a 141-run partnership that not only brought Islamabad back into the game but put them in the driving seat.
Shadab scored 54 off 31 before departing for the pavilion, leaving his side 145-3 in 12.2 overs but Colin Munro continued the charge against the opponents.
Munro became Chris Jordan’s victim after posting 84 runs on just 40 balls courtesy of nine fours and five sixes. Following the left-handed batter’s dismissal, destructive batter Azam Khan came to bat but returned to the pavilion without scoring a single run, increasing Islamabad’s worries.
However, Haider Ali (19) and Faheem Ashraf (23) provided crucial runs down the order after which Imad Wasim took his team over the line with his batting in the last over.
Batting first, Multan’s Usman Khan wrote history as he became just the first player to score two centuries in a single PSL edition.
The right-handed batter scored 100 off 50 balls with a whopping 15 fours and three sixes, completing his innings at an astounding 200 strike rate.
The Sultans didn’t have the greatest start as they just managed to score 58 runs in the powerplay on the loss of two wickets.
However, as soon as Mohammad Rizwan departed, Usman and Johnson Charles started to attack Islamabad bowlers and built a formidable 86-run partnership in just 50 balls.
Charles departed after scoring a quick 18-ball 42 with six boundaries, leaving his side at 144/3 in 13.2 overs. Soon after his dismissal, Iftikhar Ahmed came to bat but the 33-year-old couldn’t provide much and lost his wicket to Naseem Shah just after contributing 13 runs.
However, despite losing two wickets, Usman continued with his attacking prowess and took Multan to a 228-run total.
- Imad Wasim