On a crisp evening under the lights of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Islamabad United, the defending champions, began their title defence with intent and flair, outclassing Lahore Qalandars by eight wickets in the opening match of HBL PSL X. The hero of the night? None other than debutant Jason Holder, whose fiery four-wicket burst set the tone for a commanding victory.
Put into bat, Lahore Qalandars showed early promise through Abdullah Shafique, who stood tall amid the ruins with a fluent 66. But while Abdullah carved boundaries with elegance and composure, he was let down by a fragile middle-order that offered little resistance.
The scoreboard read 93 for five in the 14th over, and despite a brief flicker of fight from Sikandar Raza, the innings fizzled out at 139 in 19.2 overs. Holder, with his sharp variations and trademark bounce, made an immediate mark, picking up four wickets for 26 runs, while skipper Shadab Khan chimed in with three of his own.
Islamabad’s chase wasn’t flawless. They began cautiously, inching to 37 in the powerplay and losing Andries Gous early. But from there, it was smooth sailing.
Colin Munro, cool and calculated, took the anchor role, while Sahibzada Farhan brought the fireworks with a flurry of sixes before falling for 25. At 69 for two at the halfway mark, the chase was finely balanced, but that’s when Salman Ali Agha joined the party.
Together, Munro and Salman stitched a composed, unbeaten partnership that silenced the Qalandars’ bowling attack. Munro’s 59* and Salman’s 41* saw United home with 14 balls to spare, setting the perfect tone for their campaign.
For Islamabad, this wasn’t just a win — it was a statement. The blend of international steel in Holder and Munro, with homegrown brilliance from Shadab and Salman, clicked right from the start. For Lahore, questions linger — particularly around their middle-order and bowling bite.
But the PSL is long, and redemption arcs are always around the corner.
Player of the Match: Jason Holder (Islamabad United)
Result: Islamabad United won by 8 wickets
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