Islamabad United 189 for 5 (Imad 59*, Haider 52*, Ayub 2-34) beat Peshawar Zalmi 185 for 5 (Ayub 73, Haris 40, Naseem 3-30) by five wickets
Imad smashed an unbeaten 59 while Haider bludgeoned five sixes in his 29-ball 52 not out as United chased down Peshawar Zalmi’s 186-target with an over to spare after opting to chase.
United, who won two titles in the first three PSL seasons, including in 2018, will play Multan Sultans in the final on Monday.
Zalmi’s three-spinner plan for the first time this season was working well when Ayub (2 for 34) claimed the key wickets of Alex Hales (1) and Agha Salman (5). Left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz bowled Shadab for a duck and Martin Guptill (34) offered a tame catch at mid-on as Islamabad slumped to 50 for 4 in the batting power play.
Azam Khan (22) was bowled by Luke Wood’s slower delivery but Imad and Haider then had their match-winning 98-run stand in 8.1 overs.
Needing 35 off the last three overs, Haider smashed Aamer Jamal for two sixes and Imad hit two fours to all but seal the game as the fast bowler conceded 23 runs off six balls.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah (3 for 30) picked up Babar’s wicket in his first spell and dismissed Haris and Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the death overs.
