Shadab Khan was named player of the tournament
The ninth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ended with Islamabad United triumphing over Multan Sultans at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.
This marks United’s third PSL championship, while the Sultans have now faced defeat in three consecutive finals.
With PSL 9 now a part of history, let’s recap the summary, recognize the award winners, and more.
Here’s the full list of award winners:
Player of the Match: Imad Wasim
Player of the Tournament: Shadab Khan
Emerging Player of the Tournament: Irfan Khan Niazi
Best Batter of the Tournament: Usman Khan
Best Bowler of the Tournament: Usama Mir
Best Fielder of the Tournament: Irfan Khan Niazi
Super all-rounder of the Tournament: Saim Ayub
Wicketkeeper of the Tournament: Azam Khan
Fazal Mahmood Cap for Most Wickets: Usama Mir
Hanif Mohammad Cap for Most Runs: Babar Azam
Spirit of Cricket Award: Peshawar Zalmi
Best Umpire of the Tournament: Asif Yaqoob
Keep in mind, Islamabad, under the leadership of Shadab Khan, has now claimed their third PSL title, having previously won in 2016 and 2018, making them the most successful team in the history of the tournament.
The thrilling match was decided on the final ball when Hunain Shah stepped up to bat needing just one run. The young player cleverly found a gap at point and struck the ball for four.
During the powerplay, Islamabad lost three wickets and were at 55-3. This was followed by a crucial 47-run partnership between seasoned batsman Martin Guptill and hard-hitting Azam Khan, which put them back in control.
However, a minor misunderstanding with Azam led to Guptill being run out after scoring 50 runs off 32 balls, leaving his team at 102-4 in 12.5 overs.
Further down the order, after Azam’s dismissal, Imad Wasim, the star of the eliminators, and Naseem Shah made significant contributions, scoring 19 and 17 runs respectively.
In the first innings, the Sultans narrowly avoided a huge setback in the first over when their captain Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed by Islamabad’s fast bowler Naseem Shah. However, the 31-year-old was given a reprieve as the 20-year-old bowler had overstepped the line.
The Sultans found themselves under pressure as Imad Wasim dismissed in-form Yasir Khan and David Willey in the second over.
After losing two early wickets, Multan chose to play cautiously as Rizwan and Usman Khan built a vital 53-run partnership. The game seemed to be in the Sultans’ favor, but their captain was dismissed in the 10th over after scoring 26 runs with three boundaries.
The wickets continued to fall after Rizwan’s dismissal, but Usman remained on the pitch and kept the scoreboard ticking against Islamabad’s bowlers. The UAE international soon reached his half-century, but was dismissed by Shadab Khan after scoring 57 runs off 40 balls.
It seemed unlikely that the Sultans would cross the 130-run mark as they had lost nine wickets for 127 runs with three overs remaining. However, Iftikhar stayed at the crease till the end and guided Rizwan’s team to a competitive total.
