Islamabad United Wins Third Title in Last-Ball Thriller

The HBL Pakistan Super League final was an absolute treat for the spectators. It was a nail-biting match that ended with Islamabad United captain, Shadab Khan, proudly lifting their third PSL trophy. Once again, the Multan Sultans players felt disappointment as they lost another final, this time by just two wickets.

The tension was palpable, and it all came down to Imad Wasim’s nerves. In a candid moment caught on camera, he was seen calming his nerves by smoking a cigarette in the dressing room. This was after he had achieved the remarkable feat of taking the first-ever five-wicket haul in a PSL finale.

Imad entered the field after Martin Guptill’s dismissal, following his impressive half-century and a partnership of 47 runs with Azam Khan. This partnership helped Islamabad United recover from a shaky start, where they had lost three wickets for just 55 runs by the ninth over while chasing a target of 160 runs.

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Imad witnessed the quick dismissals of Azam, Haider Ali, and Faheem Ashraf, which left Islamabad United in a difficult position at 129-6, requiring 31 runs in three overs.

Then, Naseem Shah entered the scene, reminding everyone of his previous match-winning performances against Afghanistan. He smashed Iftikhar Ahmed for a massive six over square leg. Imad followed suit with two impressive square drives, one of them being magnificent and the other a bit lucky, resulting in two more boundaries.

Naseem (17 off 9) expertly flicked Mohammad Ali’s delivery for another four runs. A leg-bye leveled the scores, but unfortunately, Naseem edged a bouncer behind to Multan captain and wicket-keeper Rizwan on the second-to-last ball.

However, Naseem had set the stage perfectly for his brother Hunain to score the winning run. With a skillful shot on the off-side, Hunain squeezed the ball through the in-field for a boundary, securing Islamabad United’s victory. The entire team’s camp erupted in celebration, waving Palestine flags. Imad, contributing 19 runs off 17 balls, joined in the jubilation.

Multan’s total received a significant boost thanks to an impressive performance by Iftikhar in the final two overs of the innings.

In a surprising decision, the right-handed batsman was sent in to bat at number eight, following tailenders David Willey and Usama Mir.

However, the strategy did not pay off as Imad and Shadab dismantled Multan’s batting lineup, allowing Iftikhar to showcase his skills.

The strong hitter smashed medium pacer Tymal Mills for a six in the 19th over and followed it up with another boundary over midwicket, with the crowd chanting “Chacha, Chacha” in support.

Iftikhar’s quickfire 32 off 20 completely changed the game, overshadowing Naseem’s impressive bowling figures. Rizwan and Usman Khan’s partnership laid the foundation, with Usman scoring his fourth fifty of the season with 57 off 40 balls.

Shadab’s breakthrough at the halfway mark led to the dismissal of Usman and Usama six overs later. Imad was on fire, taking crucial wickets including Khushdil and Chris Jordan in the 18th over. Additionally, he dismissed Yasir Khan, Willey, and Johnson Charles earlier in the innings. Abbas Afridi was run out thanks to a brilliant throw by Shadab.