Defending champions Islamabad United handed Lahore Qalandars a resounding eight-wicket defeat in the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday night.
Chasing a modest target of 140 runs, the defending champions comfortably secured the win, losing just two wickets and with 14 balls to spare.
The home side, however, experienced a contrasting start to their run chase as their debutant opener Andries Gous was dismissed in the second over with only eight runs on the scoreboard.
Following the early setback, Munro joined Sahibzada Farhan in the middle, and together they initiated a recovery, adding 55 runs for the second wicket until the opener fell victim to Haris Rauf in the ninth over after scoring 25 off 24 deliveries.
Munro then partnered with Salman Ali Agha for a match-winning 80-run stand, guiding United to victory.
The top-order batter led the scoring with an unbeaten 59 off 42 deliveries, including seven boundaries and a six, while Agha contributed an unbeaten 41 from 34 deliveries, featuring three fours and a six.
For Qalandars, Abbas Afridi and Rauf each managed to pick up a wicket.
United captain Shadab Khan’s decision to bowl first proved advantageous for the defending champions as their Holder-led bowling attack dismantled the Qalandars’ batting lineup, restricting them to a meagre 139 before they were bowled out in 19.2 overs.
The Qalandars had a dismal start to their innings, losing their key batter Fakhar Zaman (one) in the second over with just four runs on the board.
Coming in to bat at number three, Abdullah Shafique quickly established himself at one end, but the visitors continued to lose wickets at the other, preventing them from posting a substantial total.
Shafique remained unbeaten until the penultimate over, top-scoring for the Qalandars with a 38-ball 66, which included six fours and three sixes.
He also formed crucial partnerships with Daryl Mitchell and Sikandar Raza, who were the other notable run-scorers for the Qalandars, scoring 13 and 23 respectively.
However, the rest of the Qalandars’ batters struggled against a disciplined United bowling attack, with none of them reaching double figures.
Jason Holder was the standout bowler for United, registering impressive figures of 4/26 in his four overs, while skipper Shadab claimed three wickets. Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, and overseas pacer Riley Meredith each took one wicket.
The eight-wicket victory propelled Islamabad United to the top of the PSL 10 standings with two points from one match, while Lahore Qalandars fell to the bottom of the table.
Playing XI:
Islamabad United: Andries Gous, Sahibzada Farhan, Colin Munro, Salman Agha, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan (captain), 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 (captain), Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi.
