Sharjah: Karachi Kings ousted defending champions Islamabad United through deadly spells from their spinners Usama Mir (3 for 24) and Imad Wasim (3 for 18) well backed by pacer Mohammad Amir (3 for 7) in the second play off of the Pakistan Super League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Though Karachi were bowled out for a paltry 126 in 19.4 overs, they fought back to wreck the Islamabad batting line up and bowl them out for 82 runs in 15.2 overs  and register an emphatic 44 runs victory.

Karachi will now meet Peshawar Zalmi  in the third play-off on Friday at the Dubai International stadium. This winner of the Dubai match will take on Quetta Gladiators in the final at Lahore on March 5.

No one expected Islamabad batting to crash chasing a moderate total.  In fact, Islamabad had even won the toss and elected to field. It was a dramatic start to the Karachi innings with Islamabad pacer Mohammad Irfan bowling a maiden over to opener Babar Azam. Strangely, Chris Gayle too allowed Mohmamad Sami to bowl a maiden. However, in the third over Azam picked four consecutive boundaries off Irfan.  Azam also hit Rumman Raees for a boundary in the fourth over past short fine leg.

Gayle too hit Mohammad Sami for two consecutive boundaries in the fifth over. The opening pair put on 42 runs in 5.5 overs when Raees made Gayle play on to his wicket for 17 while attempting to slog over mid-wicket.

In the seventh over, Shadab Khan trapped Azam leg before for 25 as the ball hit low on the front pad.

Two veterans, Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malek took charge. By the 10th over Karachi were 66 for 2. They added 34 runs in 5.2 overs when Sangakkara pulled Shane Watson to Misbah Ul Haq at mid-wicket after scoring 17 runs in 19 balls.

Ravi Bopara joined Malek and when the total reached 100 in the 15th over, Watson had Bopara brilliantly caught by a diving Shadab Khan at long on boundary. The pair put on 24 runs in 3.4 overs. Shoaib Malek too quickly followed run out for 25 while attempting a risky second run.

All eyes turned towards Kieron Pollard for sixes but it was Imad Wasim who hit Raees for a six over long on . Attempting another big hit off Raees, Wasim  got caught at the mid-wicket boundary by Asif Ali for 14. Pollard too followed as he hit the very next ball to Shadab at long on for 5. 

Sohail Khan too fell for a duck brilliantly yorked by Raees.  Three wickets fell in the 19th over.  Sami who bowled the last over picked the wickets of Usama Mir and Usman Khan to bowl out Karachi for 126.

With 127 runs needed from the 120 balls, Islamabad lost opener Dwayne Smith for 8 with wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakara leaping to his right and taking the edge off  Mohammad Amir’s delivery. Brad Haddin joined opener Asif Ali but fell for a duck playing Amir onto his wicket.  Asif on 23 got dropped by Pollard at long on off Usama Mir. In the 19th over, Imad Wasim picked the prize wicket of Misbah Ul Haq with a ball that skid into through his bat and pad gap for 13. Misbah and Asif had put on 35 runs in 5.1 overs.

Eighty needed from 12 overs, Watson walked in. Wasim clean bowled Watson too for 8 with a slower delivery that deflected from his pads on to his wicket  and that  pushed  Islamabad into deep trouble at 61 for 4 in 11 overs.

Asif hit Usama for a boundary to fine leg but Shadab Khan fell to Usama caught by Bopara in the covers for 1. Half the team back in the pavilion with still 58 needed in 49 balls, West Indies 21-year-old batsman Nicolas Pooran joined Asif but was trapped leg before by Wasim.  In the 14th over Usama struck twice to dismiss a well set Asif caught behind by wicketkeeper Sangakkara for 39. He also trapped Mohammad Sami for a duck with the next ball. Sohail Khan bowled next man Amad Butt for 7 while Mohammad Amir got rid of last man Raees for a duck.

Brief scores

Karachi Kings bt Islamabad United by 44 runs.  Karachi Kings 126 in 19.4 overs (Babar Azam 25, Shoaib Malek 25, Mohammad Sami 2 for 19, Rumman Raees 4 for 25, Shane Watson 2 for 29) Islamabad United  82 in 15. 2 overs (Asif Ali 39 , Mohmamad Amir 3 for 7 , Imad Wasim 3 for 18, Usama Mir 3 for 24) Man of the match: Imad Wasim.