Pictures: Pakistan Super League 2021 resumes in Abu Dhabi with a flourish

Rashid Khan's brilliant allround performance earned Lahore Qalandars a last-ball five-wicket win over Islamabad United as the Pakistan Super League resumed after more than three months at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The PSL was suspended in March after a number of players and support staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Rashid Khan, seen exchanging post-match pleasantries with his Lahore Qalandars teammates, had the Islamabad United batsmen in all kinds of trouble as he gave away just nine runs to take one wicket from his four overs. Islamabad were restricted to 143 for nine but there was no dearth of drama before Lahore overhauled the target to finish at 144 for five. Needing 16 runs off the last over, the spunky Afghan hit three boundaries off the first three deliveries to ease the pressure before he scrambled across for a single in the last ball.

It was a double whammy on Wednesday evening for Islamabad United. If losing a close match was not enough, their international allrounder Faheem Ashraf suffered a split webbing on his left hand that needed multiple stitches. ''The allrounder may miss game-time in the upcoming matches. We wish him best of luck in his recovery,'' the franchise tweeted on Thursday.

The six franchises, who were camping in Abu Dhabi since end-May, played a number of warm-up matches at the two Oval grounds adjacent to the stadium. Imad Wasim, Pakistan's star allrounder and captain of reigning champions Karachi Kings, in action during such a game against Peshawar Zalmi.

Pakistan's senior fast bowler Wahab Riaz (right), a member of Peshawar Zalmi, has a word of advice for a fellow paceman during the warm-up game against Karachi.

Imran Tahir, the 41-year-old leg spinner and a familiar face in franchise cricket, weaves his magic for Multan Sultans during a practice game against Quetta Gladiators. Led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, former Pakistan skipper, Gladiators won the game.

Faf power: Faf du Plessis, the strongman of T20 cricket and former South African captain, plays a fierce cut while batting for the Gladiators against Sultans in the practice game.

Ben Cutting (left) celebrates with other Quetta Gladiators team members after wrapping up the practice game against Multan Sultans. The final of PSL VI is scheduled in Abu Dhabi on June 24, following which the Pakistan national team will take the flight to England for a bi-lateral series.