United’s Dominant Batting Defeats Qalandars
Shadab’s Stellar Batting Performance makes a day for Islamabad United. On the opening night of PSL 2024, Islamabad United delivered a remarkable performance, securing a statement win over defending champions Lahore Qalandars. Opting to field first, United chased down a challenging target of 196 with 10 balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 138-run partnership between Shadab Khan and Agha Salman.
Despite a sloppy fielding display from Qalandars, including missed chances and run-out opportunities, none of their bowlers could effectively contain United’s run flow. Alex Hales set the tone with a quick cameo, and after Salman Fayyaz dismissed him with a sharp return catch, Qalandars struggled to find further breakthroughs.
Shadab Khan showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten 74 off 41 deliveries, expertly timing and placing both pace and spin. Agha Salman played an even more explosive innings, finishing unbeaten with 64 off 31. The match concluded with United’s captain hitting a massive six off Fayyaz, bringing up United’s total to 200.
In Qalandars’ innings, Sahibzada Farhan made a brisk half-century in 29 balls, but the scoring wasn’t consistent. Fakhar Zaman’s struggles against Shadab Khan resulted in an early dismissal. Shadab continued to trouble Qalandars, and when Farhan was caught off Tymal Mills, the defending champions faced a slowdown.
Rassie van der Dussen played a crucial role in reviving Qalandars’ innings with an outstanding late-overs knock, scoring an unbeaten 71 off 41 balls. Some fireworks from David Wiese towards the end helped Qalandars approach the 200-run mark. However, United’s dominant performance throughout the game ensured that Qalandars’ efforts fell short.