One thing that keeps Islamabad United in the top three on the points table in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7 is their batting depth. Their batters are capable of forming partnerships at any number, which is crucial for posting a defendable total on the board.
In the match against Karachi Kings last night, Islamabad United batters added some crucial partnerships to post a total of 191 runs on the board, which has also become the highest total without any batter scoring 35 runs. This is quite remarkable as this feat has been achieved either in the PSL or in any other T20 league.
Islamabad United's 191 tonight is the highest total without any batter scoring 35 runs. Not just in the PSL, but in any T20 league in the world.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) February 14, 2022
United’s skipper, Shadab Khan was the highest scorer for their side with 34 runs off 26 balls.
Despite Islamabad United losing Gurbaz in the first over and Akhlaq in the fourth over, they succeeded to put a big total of 190 runs in 20 overs. Alex Hales, who supported Shadab in the first half of the inning, scored 25 from 19 balls, while wicket-keeper batter, Azam Khan, and hard-hitting batter, Asif Ali, provided much-needed impetus in the final stages of the innings by scoring 22 runs off 14 balls and 28 runs off 11 balls, respectively.
Here are the contributions of these batters in last night’s match:
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Gurbaz | 12 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 240.00 |
| Alex Hales | 25 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 131.58 |
| Akhlaq | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Shadab | 34 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 130.77 |
| Dawson | 15 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 93.75 |
| Azam | 22 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 157.14 |
| Asif | 28 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 254.55 |
With a nail-biting one-run victory against Karachi Kings in yesterday’s match, Islamabad United’s chances for the play-off stage have improved further. Currently, Shadab-led Islamabad United are in the third spot on the PSL points table with 10 points to their name.
It is pertinent to mention that Islamabad United will be facing Peshawar Zalmi on 17 February, Lahore Qalandars on 19 February, and Multan Sultans on 20 February at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
