KARACHI: Karachi Kings suffered their third consecutive defeat in the HBL Pakistan Super League on Thursday night as Islamabad United chased down a modest 151-run target with eight wickets and four overs to spare here at the National Bank Stadium.

The victory propelled United to second place in the PSL standings, while the home side’s campaign continued to unravel, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Put in to bat first on a tricky surface that offered grip for spinners, Kings could only post 150-6. Reeza Hendricks played the anchor’s role with an unbeaten 51 off 44 balls (four fours), but regular wickets at the other end prevented any momentum from building.

Saad Baig fell early for six, flicking Richard Gleeson to deep square. Fellow opener Jason Roy provided a brisk start, smashing 39 off 27 balls with three fours and two sixes, including a flat sweep off Imad Wasim over backward square and a gorgeous cut past cover. He timed the ball sweetly until Shadab Khan deceived him with a quicker leg-break, inducing a straightforward catch at long-off in the ninth over.

Hendricks held the innings together amid the collapse. Salman Ali Agha (four) and Azam Khan (34 off 29, three fours and a six) tried to accelerate but found the United bowlers in excellent rhythm.

Azam fell to a superb diving catch by Sameer Minhas off Gleeson, while Khushdil Shah and Moeen Ali (8) departed in quick succession. Gleeson was the pick of the attack with 2-22, mixing yorkers and cutters effectively. Shadab claimed 2-28, intelligently using flight and variations to push batters out of their comfort zones. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain also kept things tight with variations.

The surface appeared two-paced at times, and Kings’ middle order struggled to find boundaries consistently. Their powerplay score of 45-1 looked promising, but the inability to capitalise later proved costly.

In reply, United made light work of the chase. Devon Conway and debutant sensation Sameer Minhas forged a blistering 93-run opening stand in just 10 overs that effectively sealed the contest.

Sameer, the rising star, lit up the stadium with a sparkling 36-ball 58 laced with 10 boundaries. He punished anything short or wide with authority — an attractive square drive off Mir Hamza, back-to-back fours off Salman (including a swivel pull to deep midwicket), and a regal inside-out drive through covers off Khushdil Shah.

He stepped down the track to loft Khushdil over the bowler’s head and brought up his fifty with a flicked single. His aggressive yet composed approach, blending classical drives with innovative shots like the reverse flick off Adam Zampa.

Conway complemented him perfectly with a measured yet fluent 53 not out off 36 (six fours and a six). He opened his account with a square drive and kept the scoreboard ticking with clever placement. His standout moments included powerful back-foot punches and a thunderous pull off Khushdil to deep midwicket.

The pair milked singles intelligently while pouncing on loose deliveries, putting Kings’ bowlers under immense pressure. Sameer fell just short of a bigger score, stumped off Moeen Ali for 58, but by then the asking rate was under control.

Shadab then took over. He provided the finishing flourish, smashing an inside-out six over long-off off Zampa and two more maximums off Hasan Ali — one a lofted six over long-on and another backed by a fierce four over third man. He remained unbeaten on 31 off 16 balls. Conway brought up his fifty with a whippy pull off Abbas Afridi that raced to the deep square boundary, sealing victory in style.

Kings’ bowling lacked penetration. Hamza, Hasan Ali and Zampa went for plenty, while the spinners were unable to stem the flow of boundaries. The Moeen-led side looked passive, failing to take the game on despite a long batting line-up.

SCOREBOARD

KARACHI KINGS:

Saad Baig c Haider b Gleeson 6

Jason Roy c Chapman b Shadab 39

Reeza Hendricks not out 51

Salman Ali Agha c (sub) b Shadab 4

Azam Khan c Sameer b Gleeson 34

Khushdil Shah c Chapman b Faheem 2

Moeen Ali c Chapman b Hasnain 8

Abbas Afridi not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4) 6

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 150

DID NOT BAT: Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (Saad), 2-69 (Roy), 3-77 (Salman), 4-131 (Azam), 5-138 (Khushdil), 6-150 (Ali)

BOWLING: Imad 4-0-36-0 (1w), Gleeson 4-0-22-2, Faheem 4-0-28-1 (2w), Hasnain 4-0-34-1, Shadab 4-0-28-2 (1w)

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

Devon Conway not out 53

Sameer Minhas st Saad b Ali 58

Mohammad Faiq c Khushdil b Hasan 5

Shadab Khan not out 31

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4) 6

TOTAL (for two wickets, 16 overs) 153

DID NOT BAT: Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Mohammad Hasnain

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-93 (Sameer), 2-110 (Faiq)

BOWLING: Hamza 3-0-24-0 (2w), Hasan 3-0-29-1 (2w), Salman 1-0-14-0, Khushdil 1-0-17-0, Zampa 4-0-36-0, Abbas 2-0-17-0, Ali 2-0-14-1

RESULT: Islamabad United won by eight wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sameer Minhas

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026