Azam Khan fifty leads Kings to three straight wins
Islamabad United chased down 184 with ease, powered by a dominant all-round display from Shadab Khan and a breakout innings from Sameer Minhas. After an early wobble, the pair came together and took control, first steadying the chase and then accelerating through the middle overs. Their unbroken 128-run stand off 69 balls all but shut Quetta out of the contest, with Sameer finishing unbeaten on 82 and Shadab adding a fluent 69 not out.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators had recovered from a collapse through a late surge from Hasan Nawaz and Tom Curran, who stitched together an unbeaten stand to push them to 183. But Shadab had already done the damage with the ball, picking up three key wickets to trigger that slide. With the target in front of them, Islamabad paced the chase smartly, breaking the game open after the halfway mark and cruising home with plenty to spare.
Brief Scores: Quetta Gladiators 183/5 in 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 66*, Saud Shakeel 42; Shadab Khan 3-23) lost to Islamabad United 189/2 in 18.2 overs (Sameer Minhas 82*, Shadab Khan 69*; Abrar Ahmed 2-29) by eight wickets.
Karachi Kings made it three wins in a row with a confident chase of 198, riding on a blazing half-century from Azam Khan and a steady hand from David Warner. Set a strong total by Rawalpindiz, Kings were well placed early but it was Azam's arrival that shifted the game. Walking in with the rate climbing, he took control, first building a key stand with Warner and then accelerating sharply at the death, even surviving a few chances along the way.
Rawalpindiz had earlier recovered from a shaky start through Daryl Mitchell and Sam Billings, whose 120-run partnership powered them to a competitive score. But Karachi timed their chase better. After Warner's departure left them needing a push, Azam found it, taking apart the bowling in the closing overs to bring the equation down quickly. With just five needed off the last over, Mohammad Abbas Afridi finished it in style with a six, sealing a five-wicket win and pushing Kings to the top of the table.
Brief Scores: Rawalpindiz 197/6 in 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 65, Sam Billings 58; Hasan Ali 3-24) lost to Karachi Kings 199/5 in 19.2 overs (Azam Khan 74, David Warner 50; Daryl Mitchell 3-32) by five wickets.
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