By Kulsoom Jahan
KARACHI: In the ongoing edition of Pakistan Super League Season 11, it was another disappointing outing for Mohammad Rizwan’s Rawalpindi side as they slumped to their sixth consecutive defeat, virtually ending their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.
Hyderabad secured a comfortable five-wicket victory, registering their third consecutive win in the tournament. A destructive bowling spell from Mohammad Ali and Hunain Shah, who picked up three wickets each, restricted Pindi to a modest total of 121/9.
Sam Billings top-scored with 26 runs, while Yasir Khan added 24. Captain Mohammad Rizwan failed to make an impact, scoring just 15 runs. Key players like Usman Khawaja and Daryl Mitchell also had disappointing outings.
In response, Hyderabad chased down the target in 16.3 overs. Irfan Khan Niazi led the charge with 34 runs, while Kusal Perera and skipper Marnus Labuschagne contributed 32 runs each to seal the win.
In another match, Islamabad cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Karachi Kings.
Chasing 151, Islamabad comfortably reached the target in just 16 overs, losing only two wickets. Sameer Minhas starred with a brilliant 58 off 36 balls, hitting 10 boundaries. Devon Conway remained unbeaten on 53, while captain Shadab Khan added an unbeaten 31.
Earlier, Karachi Kings posted 150/6, with Reeza Hendricks scoring an unbeaten 51. Jason Roy made 39, while Azam Khan chipped in with 34.
For Islamabad, Richard Gleeson and Shadab Khan claimed two wickets each, while Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain picked up one apiece.
Islamabad’s convincing win strengthens their position in the points table, while Pindi’s losing streak continues to raise serious concerns about their campaign in HBL PSL 11.
