Colin Munro’s unbeaten 59 off just 42 balls and Jason Holder’s fiery four-wicket spell led Islamabad United to a dominant eight-wicket triumph over Lahore Qalandars in the opening match of the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), held at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Set a modest target of 140, Islamabad United chased it down with ease, reaching 143 for 2 with 14 balls to spare. Despite early setbacks with the dismissals of Sahibzada Farhan (25) and debutant Andries Gous (4), Munro anchored the innings with a composed knock.
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Gous, who impressed in the 2024 T20 World Cup for the USA, was clean bowled by Asif Afridi, while Farhan was removed by Haris Rauf after a promising start.
Earlier, Islamabad United’s bowling unit dominated the proceedings after opting to field first. Jason Holder led the charge with figures of 4 for 26, dismantling Lahore’s middle and lower order with sharp pace and bounce. Shadab Khan also impressed, taking 3 wickets for 25 runs, while Naseem Shah (1-38), Riley Meredith (1-26), and Imad Wasim (1-21) chipped in with a wicket each.
Lahore Qalandars, after being asked to bat, stumbled early, losing wickets in quick succession. Fakhar Zaman (1), Mohammad Naeem (8), and Daryl Mitchell (13) fell cheaply, with Sam Billings also dismissed for a duck. The only resistance came from Abdullah Shafique, who scored a fighting 66, and Sikandar Raza, who added 23. The team was eventually bowled out for 139 in the final over.
Holder delivered a double blow by dismissing Jahandad Khan for a duck and sending back experienced all-rounder David Wiese on the very next ball. He later removed Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, who managed just 2 runs off 7 deliveries.
Islamabad’s clinical bowling performance and Munro’s steady hand with the bat ensured a smooth start to their PSL 10 campaign.
Toss Update:
Islamabad United won the toss and chose to field first.
Team Line-ups:
Islamabad United: Andries Gous, Sahibzada Farhan, Colin Munro, Salman Agha, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan (c), Jason Holder, Muhammad Shahzad, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Riley Meredith.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Naeem, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi (c), Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi.
