Ronchi and Asif Ali power Islamabad United to win PSL 2018 trophy in Karachi
Islamabad United once again became the champions of Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Sunday by defeating Peshawar Zalmi by three wickets and winning the PSL 2018 final at National Stadium of Karachi
The historic match, which saw the return of international stars to Karachi after a long gap of nine years, ended up being relatively one-sided, as the champions of the first edition of PSL were crowned champions again.
The champions, the trophy, the celebrations!#HBLPSL #DilSeJaanLagaDe #IUvPZ pic.twitter.com/sPkkhUR1W1
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 25, 2018
Islamabad opener Ronchi smashed 52 runs off 26 balls, hitting four boundaries and five sixes, and established a 96-run opening partnership with Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 44 off 33 balls. Ronchi is also the top scorer of the tournament.
New Zealander Luke Ronchi entertained cricket-starved fans in Karachi with a blistering half-century with beautiful innings. “I’ve just batted with a clear mind, amazing how things work out if you do that,” Ronchi said in the post-match ceremony.
SIX! 0.4 Hasan Ali to Luke Ronchi
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/cOZwC5PSix#IUvPZ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/UERxrfuJCZ— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 25, 2018
Peshawar pacers struggled to bring their team back into the game in the late over as Islamabad wickets fell in quick succession, but some late hitting by Asif Ali helped United make it over the finishing line for the second time in the three-year history of the tournament.
At least 8,000 security personnel that also included armed soldiers guarded the 27,000 capacity National Stadium which was attended by a huge and excited crowd of spectators.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who was the chief guest on the occasion was present in the National stadium and enjoyed the revival of international cricket in Karachi after nine years.
“I’m pretty confident that this will be the start of cricket coming back to Pakistan,” said Duminy, who led Islamabad in the absence of injured regular captain Misbah-ul-Haq. “I’ve certainly enjoyed my time here … and I’m sure you will see lot of us here back next year.”
Thank you people of Pakistan and my @IsbUnited family for an amazing couple of weeks. Most definitely a career highlight. To my teammates and support staff you guys were outstanding. Thanks for the memories. #PakistanZindaBaad #UnitedWeWin #PSL2018Champions pic.twitter.com/ISXz9QjcLh
— JP Duminy (@jpduminy21) March 26, 2018