Karachi Kings won the toss and elected to field first.
1st Innings
Islamabad United, having lost 4 of their main overseas players including Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Colin Ingram, and Dale Steyn, were put in to bat first. The openers were cautious as they combined to add 35 for the first wicket.
A number of players got the starts, however, none of them went big, thus posting a very small total of 136/6 in their 20 overs.
All of Karachi’s bowlers contributed to restricting Islamabad United to a meager total. Hussain Talat top-scored with 37 from 30 as the away side hit just one six in the entire innings.
2nd Innings
Chasing a target of 137, Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam were brilliant right from the word go. The openers added 60 in just 4 overs before Sharjeel was given LBW off the bowling of Akif Javed.
Babar followed soon after as Mohammad Musa cleaned him up. After that, Islamabad bowlers tied the screws. In the 7 overs after Sharjeel’s wicket, the batsmen could only add 26 runs.
Despite some big blows, the match was always in Karachi’s favor. The home side won it in the end, kicking Islamabad United out of the tournament.
Pre-Match
There have been quite a few changes in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Play-offs have been canceled and now there will be two semi-finals, reducing the tournament’s duration by 4 days.
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It is a do-or-die match for Islamabad United, especially after Peshawar Zalmi’s loss last night. A number of international stars have left the country amid fears of coronavirus, which will be a downside for all the teams. Here’s what you need to know about today’s PSL match:
Match Details
| Date | Saturday, 14th March 2020 |
| Time | 07:00 pm PST |
| Venue | National Stadium Karachi |
Head-to-Head
Islamabad has an 8-5 winning record against Karachi, however, the home team defeated Shadab XI the last time they met in PSL this season.
Playing XI
Karachi Kings:
Awais Zia, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Cameron Delport, Chadwick Walton (WK), Imad Wasim (C), Iftikhar Ahmed, Chris Jordan, Mitchell McClenaghan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Amir
Islamabad United:
Phil Salt (WK), Rizwan Hussain, Colin Ingram, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan (C), Hussain Talat, Saif Badar, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Musa, Akif Javed, Zafar Gohar
Players to Lookout For
Karachi Kings:
In Alex Hales’ absence, Babar Azam will have added responsibility alongside Sharjeel Khan.
Islamabad United:
Islamabad’s foreign contingent has almost depleted with Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Dale Steyn, and Dawid Malan all returning to their homes. Phil Salt will slot into the XI and he can be a match-winning addition.
Here’s the updated PSL 2020 points table. You can find the complete PSL 2020 schedule here.
