Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by 8 wickets – PSL 2026 Match Report
Islamabad United eased past Karachi Kings by 8 wickets at the National Stadium, Karachi, in PSL 2026 Match 25. Shadab Khan was everywhere – two wickets with the ball and an unbeaten 31 off 16 to finish the job with four overs to spare. United march to 9 points from 6 games. Karachi stay fifth on 6 points.
Karachi Kings innings – 150/6 (20 overs)
Karachi never found the fluency needed to post a match-winning total on a ground where 175+ is the norm. Saad Baig fell cheaply for 6 in the second over, caught at slip off Richard Gleeson, and Jason Roy’s bright start – 39 off 27 with three fours and two sixes – ended when Shadab Khan drew him into a loose drive at mid-off in the ninth over.
That dismissal at 69/2 was the pivot. Reeza Hendricks anchored with an unbeaten 51 off 44 but found little support at the other end. Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah went cheaply to Shadab and Faheem Ashraf respectively, and Azam Khan’s 34 off 29 – the innings’ best contribution below the top two – ended via a Richard Gleeson bouncer with 14 balls remaining. Moeen Ali muscled a six before being caught for 8, leaving Karachi 22 runs short of par.
Fall of wickets: 7 (Saad Baig, 1.6 ov), 69 (Jason Roy, 8.4 ov), 77 (Salman Agha, 10.2 ov), 131 (Azam Khan, 17.5 ov), 138 (Khushdil Shah, 18.4 ov), 150 (Moeen Ali, 19.5 ov)
ISU bowling: Shadab Khan 4-0-28-2, Richard Gleeson 4-0-22-2, Faheem Ashraf 4-0-28-1, Mohammad Hasnain 4-0-34-1, Imad Wasim 4-0-36-0
Islamabad United chase – 153/2 (16 overs)
Sameer Minhas and Devon Conway put on 93 for the first wicket in under 10 overs to make the chase a formality. Minhas was the aggressor – 58 off 36 with 10 fours, striking at 161 – before Moeen Ali had him stumped in the 10th over. Conway continued neatly at the other end, finishing unbeaten on 52 off 36.
Mohammad Faiq’s dismissal for 5 at 110/2 was the only other interruption before Shadab Khan arrived to see United home in style, striking two sixes in his 31 off 16 at a strike rate of 193.75. The target was reached in the 16th over with 24 balls to spare.
Fall of wickets: 93 (Sameer Minhas, 9.6 ov), 110 (Mohammad Faiq, 12.3 ov)
KRK bowling: Adam Zampa 4-0-36-0, Hasan Ali 3-0-29-1, Mir Hamza 3-0-24-0, Abbas Afridi 2-0-17-0, Moeen Ali 2-0-14-1
Statz MVP – Shadab Khan (88/100)
Shadab Khan was the standout performer and the Statz MVP with a rating of 88/100. His two wickets in the middle overs – both via sharp turn and flight – broke the back of the Karachi innings, and his unbeaten 31 off 16 at the death underlined why United trust him with the game still on the line. A genuinely complete all-round performance.
Statz Ratings – Top 5
- Shadab Khan (ISU) – 88.0 – 2/28 with the ball, 31* off 16 to finish the chase
- Richard Gleeson (ISU) – 59.0 – 2/22 off 4 overs, the pick of the seamers
- Sameer Minhas (ISU) – 53.0 – 58 off 36 to anchor the chase from the top
- Devon Conway (ISU) – 42.7 – unbeaten 52 off 36, steady throughout
- Jason Roy (KRK) – 36.2 – 39 off 27, Karachi’s brightest moment with the bat
Turning point
Roy’s dismissal at 69/2 in the 9th over. Karachi needed him to bat deep to post 175+. The moment he went, the target was always going to be below par on a ground that offers limited help to bowlers. United were never going to drop that chase.
Match context
Islamabad United now sit second in the PSL 2026 standings with 9 points from 6 games. Karachi Kings remain fifth on 6 points – still in the hunt for a playoff spot but their bowling attack, conceding 153 for 2 in 16 overs, needs work. United’s consistency makes them genuine title contenders.
