Sameer Minhas struck his second half-century in as many matches as Islamabad United swept aside Rawalpindiz by seven wickets in Lahore, reaching the target of 157 with 34 balls still left. The comfortable chase propelled United to second place in the standings.
Rawalpindiz innings: early setbacks, late push
- Rawalpindiz were put in to bat and lost both openers quickly, with Islamabad applying early pressure.
- Richard Gleeson was the main catalyst in the Powerplay, striking twice to remove Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan.
- Kamran Ghulam helped the innings recover, firing a 39-ball fifty and sharing a 51-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell.
- After Mitchell’s dismissal, the momentum slipped: Rawalpindiz lost three more wickets for just 20 runs, leaving their recovery in danger.
- Dian Forrester provided the late acceleration, smashing 44 not out off 19 balls with 2 fours and 4 sixes to move the total to 156/7.
- Even with that finishing burst, the 156 appeared below par on a track that offered Islamabad a straightforward chase.
Islamabad’s chase: Minhas takes control
- Islamabad’s successful pursuit was powered by Sameer Minhas, who produced 70 off 36 balls to anchor the chase.
- Minhas completed his fifty in 25 deliveries and built a strong 58-run opening stand, while Devon Conway struggled to keep up at the other end.
- By the time Sameer was dismissed in the ninth over, the required run rate had eased to around a run a ball, making the result feel increasingly certain.
- Haider Ali stayed unbeaten on 26 off 16 and Mark Chapman finished things off with 24 not out off only 7 balls.
- The duo added 45 runs in just 17 balls to seal the win in 14.2 overs.
Brief scores: Rawalpindiz 156/7 (20 overs) — Kamran Ghulam 50, Dian Forrester 44*; Richard Gleeson 2/21, Faheem Ashraf 2/22, Salman Irshad 2/52. Islamabad United 157/3 (14.2 overs) — Sameer Minhas 70, Haider Ali 26*, Mark Chapman 24*; Islamabad won by 7 wickets.
