Rawalpindiz End Losing Nightmare with Dominant Win Over Islamabad United
KARACHI: Rawalpindiz finally broke their long losing run, snapping an eight-match skid with a convincing six-wicket win over Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing a modest 138, Pindiz got over the line in the 19th over with four wickets down, built around calm contributions from captain Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam.
The chase couldn’t have started worse, as Abdullah Fazal was dismissed off the very first delivery. However, Ghulam and Rizwan quickly repaired the damage, putting together a steady partnership that shifted momentum back in their favour. The duo added 78 runs, taking the team past 50 and easing early nerves.
Ghulam’s fluent 42 off 30 balls, which included five fours and a six, came to an end when Chris Green struck. Soon after, Rizwan—who made a composed 45 off 38 deliveries—was removed by Shadab Khan, leaving Pindiz at 92-3.
A moment of sharp fielding from Shadab led to Sam Billings being run out cheaply, briefly raising hopes for Islamabad. But Daryl Mitchell and Dian Forrester held their composure to see the chase through. Mitchell remained unbeaten on 32 off 25 balls, while Forrester chipped in with 13 to finish the job.
Earlier, Rawalpindiz’s bowlers laid the foundation for victory by restricting Islamabad United to 137 in their 20 overs.
Islamabad’s innings never truly gained momentum. Openers Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas struggled to find fluency, managing just a cautious start. Mohammad Amir provided the breakthrough by dismissing Minhas for 6, ending a slow 20-run opening stand.
Naseem Shah then struck in the powerplay, removing Mohammad Faiq to leave United at 29-2. The situation worsened soon after when Saad Masood dismissed Shadab Khan for just 1, reducing Islamabad to 30-3.
Conway and Mark Chapman tried to rebuild, stitching together a useful stand that carried the total beyond 50. Conway looked set before falling for 40 off 33 balls, dismissed by Daryl Mitchell to break a 49-run partnership.
Chapman followed not long after, trapped lbw by Asif Afridi for 23, as Islamabad slipped deeper into trouble. Haider Ali failed to make an impact, while Faheem Ashraf’s brief stay ended when Amir returned to pick up another wicket, leaving United reeling at 99-7.
Chris Green provided a late push with a quickfire 29 off 16 balls, adding some respectability to the total. However, his run-out in the final over halted any late surge.
Forrester then cleaned up the tail, dismissing Mohammad Hasnain for a duck and removing Richard Gleeson to wrap up the innings and cap off a strong bowling display by Rawalpindiz.
