Islamabad United locked horns with Quetta Gladiators in the ninth match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018. The first match in Sharjah, in PSL 2018, saw Quetta Gladiators win the match comprehensively by six wickets. The low-scoring match saw Islamabad United being bundled out for 134 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.

Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers Rahat Ali, Anwar Ali and Hasan Khan bowled economical spells in the first innings and took one wicket apiece. No batsman other than Luke Ronchi contributed significantly with the bat, while Faheem Ashraf’s late surge helped Islamabad United post a respectable score of 134 runs on the scoreboard. Playing their first match of the season both, Misbah-ul-Haq and JP Duminy failed to deliver for their team as they managed to score only 36 runs off 51 deliveries between them.

Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators Match Highlights in PSL 2018:

Chasing the modest target of 135 runs, the Quetta Gladiators team cruised home riding back on the explosive knock by Kevin Pietersen. The former England captain hit 3 sixes and 4 fours in his innings of 48 runs off 34 balls. Pietersen was well supported by Asad Shafiq Mohammad Nawaz who scored 22 runs and 25 runs respectively. With Kevin Pietersen in red-hot form, the chase seemed to be a cakewalk for the Quetta Gladiators team. Pakistan Super League 2018 Schedule: Match Time Table, Fixtures, Venue and Teams of Third Edition of PSL.

It was quite baffling to see the Islamabad United team management deciding to bench two T20 specialists in their side. The decision to bench Jofra Archer (later revealed to be injured) and Andre Russell proved fatal for the team as they couldn’t recover after their initial failings.

In the latest points table of PSL 2018, Quetta Gladiators are now placed on the third spot with 4 points after this win. Whereas on the other hand, Islamabad United are placed in the fifth spot with 2 points. Stay tuned with for all the latest updates on Pakistan Super League 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2018 06:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).