Match Introduction:
On Monday, March 14, 2024, the final of PSL 9 was played between Islamabad United and Multan Sultans. At the National Stadium in Karachi, Multan Sultans’ captain, Mohammad Rizwan, won the toss and decided to bat.
Here are the playing elevens for both teams.
Multan Sultans Playing 11
Yasir Khan
Mohammad Rizwan (C , WK)
David Willey
Usman Khan
Johnson Charles
Khushdil Shah
Usama Mir
Iftikhar Ahmed
Chris Jordan
Abbas Afridi
Mohammad Ali
Islamabad United Playing 11 vs Multan Sultans
Martin Guptill
Colin Munro
Agha Salman
Shadab Khan (c)
Azam Khan (Wk)
Imad Wasim
Haider Ali
Faheem Ashraf
Naseem Shah
Hunain Shah
First Innings: Batting Brilliance and Bowling Mastery
Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan came out to start the innings for Multan. Rizwan was caught out in the first over, but he survived due to a no-ball by Naseem Shah. However, Yasir Khan couldn’t stay at the crease for long, and Imad Wasim dismissed him for 6 runs.
After that, David Willey came in to bat, but Imad Wasim also got him out on the third ball, taking two wickets in one over and putting Multan Sultans under pressure.
Multan’s score was 48 runs and two wickets fell during the first powerplay.
After the powerplay ended, Rizwan and Usman Khan formed a slight partnership, but Rizwan couldn’t handle the pressure and got out on 26 runs, caught by Shadab Khan’s ball, dismissing Martin Guptill. Rizwan played 26 balls, including 3 fours.
After Rizwan’s dismissal, the team came under more pressure, and wickets continued to fall one after the other. Usman Khan managed to hold one end and provide some rescue to the team, but he couldn’t last long and was caught by Jordan Cox off Shadab Khan’s ball. Usman Khan played a superb innings of 57 runs off 40 balls, with a strike rate of 142.50, including 7 beautiful fours and a stylish six.
Nine players were out at 127 runs. Iftikhar Ahmed was sent to bat at number 8 today. Mohammad Ali was present with him at the last wicket, but Iftikhar Ahmed played a splendid innings.
In the last two overs, he scored valuable runs for the team, successfully setting up a fighting total on the scoreboard. Iftikhar’s brilliant innings included 3 amazing sixes and 3 fantastic fours. Iftikhar Ahmed scored 32 runs off 20 balls with a strike rate of 160.
Thanks to Iftikhar’s excellent batting towards the end, Multan’s team scored 159/9 runs.
If we talk about bowling, Islamabad’s team showed exceptional bowling and fielding. Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, and Naseem Shah all bowled superbly.
Imad Wasim was exceptional today and took 5 wickets. He became the first player in PSL history to take 5 wickets in a final match. His bowling was outstanding, conceding only 23 runs and completing his 4-over spell. His spell included 14 dot deliveries.
Shadab Khan once again led from the front, taking 3 wickets in his 4 overs and conceding only 32 runs. Along with him, Naseem Shah also bowled exceptionally well, giving away just 25 runs in his 4 overs.
Second Innings Islamabad United: The Chase Begins
Colin Munro and Martin Guptill opened for Islamabad, providing a good start. However, Colin Munro was out after scoring 17 runs in the fourth over. After his dismissal, Agha Salman came in, but he couldn’t stay at the crease for long and was caught by Khushdil Shah after scoring just 10 runs.
Islamabad also stayed close to Multan, losing 2 wickets in the first powerplay and scoring 46 runs.
After that, Shadab Khan came in, but he also got bowled after scoring just 4 runs off Iftikhar Ahmed’s ball. Later, Azam Khan came and played well, scoring 30 runs off 22 balls, including 4 fours and a six.
Wickets continued to fall at one end, but Imad Wasim remained calm and continued batting. In the end, Naseem Shah also played well, scoring 17 runs off 9 balls, including a long six against Iftikhar, and two excellent fours were part of his innings.
31 runs were needed in 3 overs, and Naseem Shah batted well. However, he got out on the second last ball, leaving one run to win. Then, Hunain Shah came in and controlled the nerves. On the last ball, he hit a four off Mohammad Ali, leading his team to win the PSL title for the third time.
Before this, Islamabad United had already won the Pakistan Super League title in 2016 and 2018. Islamabad is the first team to have won the PSL three times, and it was also the first team to win the title twice.
Islamabad United Key Performances: Stars of the Match
In this match, there were many stars, among them, Hunain Shah’s last-ball finish stood out, as well as Shadab Khan’s excellent bowling. However, once again, what Imad Wasim did today was unparalleled. Not only did he take 5 wickets, but he also scored crucial runs. Therefore, there is no one else but Imad Wasim for the Man of the Match award.
Moment Of The Match for PSL 9 Final
The ‘Moment of the Match’ award goes solely to Hunain Shah for the way he hit a four off the last ball and secured victory for his team. It was challenging to handle such pressure at such a young age and execute a last-ball finish. This is why Hunain Shah received the ‘Moment of the Match’ award.
Tactical Insights
The way Imad Wasim bowled, Islamabad won the match. Taking 5 wickets in a T20 match isn’t easy, especially in such an important game, and consistently performing for the team. Imad Wasim played a crucial role in getting his team to the playoffs. He was the Man of the Match in Eliminator 1, Eliminator 2, and the final. Imad Wasim truly excelled in the last four matches.
Fan Reactions and Social Buzz
If we talk about the fans, they didn’t behave well with Imad Wasim. Whenever Imad came to bat or field, chants of ‘Babar, Babar’ were raised from the crowd, despite there being no issue between Imad and Babar. Fans displayed aggressive behavior on social media and in the stadium, which is not good. At one point, Imad even took off his jersey to show his name to the crowd, urging them to quiet down, saying ‘My name is Imad’.
Thanks Pakistan Cricket Board:
PCB and all the involved parties deserve a big thank you for organizing such a successful tournament. This is why the PSL is counted among the top leagues in the world.,
