Islamabad United 200 for 2 (Shadab 74*, Salman 64*) beat Lahore Qalandars 195 for 5 (van der Dussen 71*, Farhan 57) by eight wickets
They were helped by a sloppy fielding performance from Qalandars, who put Shadab down twice and missed several run-out opportunities. But ultimately, no Qalandars bowler found a way of restricting United’s runs. From the very outset, Alex Hales set the tone with a breezy cameo, and when Salman Fayyaz got rid of him with a sharp return catch, it was the last success Qalandars would enjoy.
What followed was Shadab at his very best with the bat, timing and placing both pace and spin to perfection. He would finish with an unbeaten 74 off 41, ably supported by an even more explosive knock by Salman, who ended the contest with an undefeated 64 off 31. It was perhaps appropriate that the game ended with the United captain tonking Fayyaz straight over his head for a huge six, one that also brought up United’s 200.
Once the PSL got underway following a flashy opening ceremony, Qalandars looked to have made a bright start, too. Sahibzada Farhan took just 29 balls to bring up his half-century, but the nature of scoring for Qalandars wasn’t as uniform. Fakhar Zaman struggled at the other end before Shadab removed him off the first ball he faced off the spinner. It was to be the start of a very productive day for Shadab, while Qalandars spent several overs trying to regain their momentum. When Farhan top-edged off Tymal Mills, the slowdown became even more pronounced, and United assumed the ascendancy.
