Good Evening! Hello and Welcome to Cricket Country’s live coverage of 3rd Qualifying Final of the 2016 Pakistan Super League (PSL) between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi at Dubai on Sunday.
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Both teams have faced each other twice in the league stages, only to see Islamabad United win these matches by emphatic margin both the times over Peshawar Zalmi.
Batting first, Islamabad United scored 176 runs for the loss of three wickets in the stipulated twenty overs.
Sharjeel Khan was declared the Man of the Match for his magnificent century. Their decision to field was not backed up by the bowlers as the Islamabad United opening batsmen Dwayne Smith (19) and Khan (117) piled on a 108-run opening stand in 13.1 overs.
The victor of today’s encounter will face Quetta Gladiators in the final on February 23 at the same venue. Khalid finished with 4 for 20 from his three overs and Andre Russell took three lower-order wickets, including Afridi’s, to end with 3 for 37.
The Hyderabad-born Sharjeel was later supported by Khalid Latif, who came in to bat at number four, and scored a crucial 28 off 21 balls.
In Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Brad Hodge, Darren Sammy, Johnny Bairstow and skipper Afridi himself, they have enough firepower to chase down any total while Wahab Riaz has bowled well and is well supported by two emerging players Mohammad Asghar and Hasan Ali.
His was the ninth Peshawar wicket to fall, after making 38 off just 17 balls with two fours and four sixes, holing out to Dwayne Smith off Andre Russsel at deep midwicket.
Sharjeel Khan’s remarkable century helped Islamabad United seal a spot in PSL final.
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Losing captain Shahid Afridi wished both the teams all the best for the final: “Sharjeel took the game away from us, it was a special knock”.
