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LAHORE: In an all-round performance that prominently featured Sameer Minhas’ blistering half-century, Islamabad United cruised to a resounding seven-wicket victory against Rawalpindiz in their HBL Pakistan Super League match here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
The win, which is United’s second of the ongoing season, lifted them to the second spot with five points in four games. Unbeaten Karachi Kings (six points) lead the eight-team table with three victories in as many matches. Rawalpindiz, who lost their third consecutive match in PSL 11, remain winless and are currently seventh.
Chasing a pretty modest 157, United completed the task off just 14.2 overs after taking a flying start in powerplay.
Man-of-the-match Sameer remained a standout batter in the whole match as the right-hander clobbered a decisive 70 off just 36 balls with the help of seven fours and four sixes.
United raced to 62 in powerplay while losing opener Devon Conway (six) who was caught by Kamran Ghulam at deep midwicket off fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the sixth over.
The 19-year-old Sameer cruised to his half-century off just 25 balls and continued to threaten Rawalpindiz bowlers.
They finally took a sigh of relief in the 10th over when left-arm pacer Jalat Khan sent Sameer back to the dugout to leave United at 92-2.
United, who touched the 100 mark in 9.5 overs, lost Mohammad Faiq (19 off 16) in the 12th over as the batter was caught by Daryl Mitchell off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain as the score read 112-3.
However, there was no more respite for Rawalpindiz as Haider Ali (26 not out off 16) and Mark Chapman (24 not out off seven) built a rapid 44-run stand off just 16 balls to comfortably steer United to a well-deserved victory.
Haider smashed three fours and a six while southpaw Chapman struck four fours and a maximum.
Only Amir (1-18 off three overs) managed to restrict United whereas Jalat (1-38 off three overs) and Rishad (1-36 off three overs) and the rest could hardly challenge the roaring United batters.
Earlier after being sent in to bat first, Rawalpindiz managed a modest total after getting off to a poor start.
Paceman Richard Gleeson’s double strike to dismiss openers Yasir Khan (two) and Mohammad Rizwan (two) in the second and fourth overs respectively, restricted Rawalpindiz to 15-2. Rizwan was cleaned up with a beautiful yorker while Yasir was brilliantly caught by Faiq at the backward point.
Number three Kamran and Mitchell (19 off 15, two fours) tried to rescue and in the process managed to steer their team 35-2 in powerplay.
The duo during their 51-run stand helped Rawalpindiz reach 50 off 7.2 overs before Mitchell was caught by a rushing Chapman at deep square leg while negotiating a slower bouncer from pacer Salman Irshad as the scoreline read 66-3 at halfway stage.
Right-handed Kamran in the meantime kept the scoreboard moving as he completed his half-century off 37 balls.
United dented Rawalpindiz badly in the 12th over when Kamran trying to play a big stroke off a sluggish off-cutter by fast bowler Faheem Ashraf edged it to wicket-keeper Conway at the total of 78. Kamran during his attacking knock cracked six fours and a couple of sixes.
After the departure of Kamran, Rawalpindiz lost Sam Billings (seven) who was trapped in front by Imad Wasim in the 15th over — which made it 96-5 — as the batter failed to play a reverse sweep and was given out by the third umpire on his review call.
After reaching 100 in 15.1 overs, Rawalpindiz got a late flourish through Dian Forrester (44 not out off 19) and Abdullah Fazal (23 off 16, two sixes) as their cameos helped the team race to 150 in the next 4.3 overs.
Abdullah was caught at deep cover by Sameer off Salman in the 17th over with the total at 117 while Rishad (three) was caught by Chris Green off Faheem in the penultimate over with 135 on the board.
Forrester’s belligerent knock contained four sixes and a couple of fours as the left-handed batter steered Rawalpindiz past 150 plundering 20 runs off the final over bowled by Salman.
For United, Gleeson (2-21) and Faheem (2-22) and Imad (1-15) impressed with the leather while Salman conceded 52 runs off four overs while claiming a brace.
SCOREBOARD
RAWALPINDIZ:
Mohammad Rizwan b Gleeson2
Yasir Khan c Faiq b Gleeson2
Kamran Ghulam c Conway b Faheem50
Daryl Mitchell c Chapman b Salman19
Sam Billings lbw b Imad7
Abdullah Fazal c Sameer b Salman23
Dian Forrester not out44
Rishad Hossain c Green b Faheem3
Mohammad Amir Khan not out0
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-3)6
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs)156
DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Amir, Jalat Khan
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Yasir), 2-15 (Rizwan), 3-66 (Mitchell), 4-78 (Kamran), 5-96 (Billings), 6-117 (Abdullah), 7-135 (Rishad)
BOWLING: Imad 4-0-15-1, Gleeson 4-0-21-2, Faheem 4-0-22-2 (1w), Salman 4-0-52-2 (1w), Shadab 2-0-20-0 (1w), Green 2-0-23-0
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
Devon Conway c Kamran b Amir6
Sameer Minhas c Mitchell b Jalat70
Mohammad Faiq c Mitchell b Rishad19
Haider Ali not out26
Mark Chapman not out24
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-8)12
TOTAL (for three wickets, 14.2 overs)157
DID NOT BAT: Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Salman Irshad, Chris Green
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-58 (Conway), 2-92 (Sameer), 3-112 (Faiq)
BOWLING: Amir 3-0-18-1 (1w), Amir Khan 2-0-24-0, Jalat 3-0-38-1, Rishad 3-0-36-1 (4w), Forrester 1.2-0-18-0 (2w), Kamran 1-0-7-0, Mitchell 1-0-12-0 (1w)
RESULT: Islamabad United won by seven wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sameer Minhas
Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026
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