PSL 2020: Islamabad United decimate Multan Sultans, Kamran Akmal’s ton helps Peshawar Zalmi earn 1st win

Former champions Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi earned their first victories in the Pakistan Super League on Saturday.

In Karachi, Peshawar’s Kamran Akmal hit a century against title-holder Quetta Gladiators.

Akmal smashed 101 runs off 55 balls and guided 2017 champion Peshawar to 153-4 in 18.3 overs in reply to Quetta’s below-par effort of 148-5 at Karachi.

In Lahore, two-time champion Islamabad’s heavily loaded overseas top-order rolled over Multan Sultan by eight wickets as it raced to 165-2 in only 16.4 overs.

Luke Ronchi hammered 74 off 45 balls and his Kiwi countryman Colin Munro smashed 50 off 32 in what proved to be an easy run chase after seamer Amad Butt’s 4-27 had restricted Multan to 164-8.

Akmal gave the credit to Peshawar bowlers.

My innings benefited my team and that matters to me a lot, Akmal said. The real credit (for the win) goes to the bowlers, the way they bowled and restricted the opponents.

Akmal hit 13 fours and four sixes to record his third century in the PSL after previously scoring hundreds in the United Arab Emirates against Karachi and Lahore Qalandars in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Earlier Quetta, which had defeated Islamabad in the opening game, struggled for runs against a four-man Peshawar pace attack after captain Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to field.

Opening batsman Jason Roy of England top scored with an unbeaten 73 off 57 balls as Wahab Riaz (2-21) and Mohammad Amir (1-24) never allowed the batsmen to score freely and Quetta was restricted to under the 150 mark.

Hasan Ali looked rusty in the first match when he gave away 52 runs in his comeback match from back injury. He couldn’t get a wicket Saturday but pinned down the batsmen in the latter half of the innings and gave away only 22 runs in his four overs.