Rawalpindiz beat Islamabad United by 6 Wickets – PSL 2026 Match Report
Rawalpindiz chased down 138 with 11 balls to spare at the National Stadium, Karachi on Thursday, handing Islamabad United another defeat in what is turning into a difficult PSL campaign. A steady platform from captain Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam set the chase up, before Daryl Mitchell sealed it in the final overs.
Islamabad United Innings: 137/10 (20 ov)
Islamabad United’s innings was disrupted early and never fully recovered. Sameer Minhas fell for 6 in the fifth over, and Mohammad Faiq followed shortly after, leaving United at 29/2. The dismissal of captain Shadab Khan for 1 – caught off Saad Masood at 30/3 in the sixth over – was the key blow that stifled any chance of a big total.
Devon Conway offered resistance, making 40 off 33 balls before becoming Mohammad Amir‘s second victim in the 12th over. Mark Chapman chipped in with 23 but fell lbw to Asif Afridi. The lower order showed some spirit through Chris Green‘s 29 off just 16 balls (SR 181.25, 2 fours, 2 sixes), but his run-out in the penultimate over cut short any late surge. Imad Wasim’s unbeaten 8 at the end was academic.
Mohammad Amir was the pick of the Rawalpindiz bowling attack with 2/21 off 4 overs (Econ 5.25). Saad Masood also took 2 wickets (2/27). Asif Afridi was tight with 1/17 off 4 overs (Econ 4.25).
Rawalpindiz Chase: 140/4 (18.1 ov)
Rawalpindiz lost Abdullah Fazal for a golden duck off the first ball, but it barely dented the chase. Rizwan (45 off 38) and Kamran Ghulam (42 off 30, SR 140) built a second-wicket stand worth 78 that took the game away from United before the halfway stage. Shadab Khan removed both – first Ghulam caught at slip, then Rizwan caught on the boundary – but by then the asking rate had been reduced to something manageable.
Sam Billings came and went for 2, and Dian Forrester made an unbeaten 13 off 12. It was Daryl Mitchell who saw Rawalpindiz home, finishing 32* off 25 balls to win with 1.5 overs remaining. Chris Green (1/26) was the most economical of a United bowling attack that never found the pressure it needed.
Statz MVP: Chris Green (ISU) – 72.1/100
The Statz MVP award goes to Chris Green of Islamabad United, with a rating of 72.1/100. Green contributed in both phases – taking 1/26 with the ball across 4 overs (Econ 6.50), and then blasting 29 off 16 balls at the death (SR 181.25, 2 sixes) to give United’s total some late respectability. His combined impact stands out even in a losing cause, and the 15% loss penalty built into the Statz rating model means his raw number would have been higher.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Chris Green (ISU) – 72.1 – explosive cameo with the bat and effective with the ball
- Mohammad Amir (RW) – 58.7 – two wickets and pressure bowling at key stages
- Kamran Ghulam (RW) – 49.9 – 42 off 30 (SR 140), anchored the successful chase
- Daryl Mitchell (RW) – 48.5 – composed finisher, also chipped in with 1/25 with the ball
- Shadab Khan (ISU) – 48.0 – took the crucial wickets of Rizwan and Ghulam to give United a sniff
Turning Point
The back-to-back dismissals of Devon Conway (79 for 4) and Mark Chapman (79 for 5) off consecutive overs in the 12th over left Islamabad United’s middle order exposed with 9 overs remaining. Only 40 runs had been added since the powerplay at that stage. From that point, 137 looked unlikely to be competitive at Karachi.
Match Context
Rawalpindiz move into strong contention as the PSL 2026 playoff race heats up. See the full PSL 2026 standings. The tournament’s leading run scorer remains Kusal Mendis (493 runs), while Sufiyan Muqeem leads the wicket-takers chart with 18 wickets. For full player stats and projections, visit Statz Cricket Leaders.
