FAISALABAD: A brilliant 33-ball 61 by opener Sharjeel Khan resulted in a three-wicket victory for the Hyderabad Hawks against Islamabad Leopards in their opening match of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20, despite an all-round show by Zohaib Ahmed.Sharjeel Khan’s 61 off 33 balls steered Hyderabad Hawks to sensational 3 wicket victory over Islamabad Leopards in the sensational Group A clash of Faisal Bank Super Eight Tournament.
Hawks first reduced Leopards to 164 and overwhelmed the target with five balls to spare, after losing seven wickets.
Hyderabad Hawks VS Islamabad Leopards: Islamabad Innings
According to details, Hyderabad Hawks skipper Azeem Ghumman won the toss and elected to field first.
Farhan Ayub gave the early breakthrough to his side by dismissing Raheel Majeed for 3.
Majeed was attempting for a cut short but the ball just kissed his bat and secures in the hands of wicketkeeper Ayaz Jamili.
The lose of early wicket, frazzled opener Umair Khan and one-down Afaq Rahim to prop up Islamabad.
The duo struck influential boundaries all around the ground and boosted up the run-rate to 12, stitching 57 runs in the joint collaboration.
Finally right-arm pacer Ghulam Yasin, who was very expensive in the first two overs, struck back barely to remove Umair and Yasin for 16 and 37 runs respectively on back-to-back balls.
After the instant stagger debutant Shan Masood and Zohaib Ahmed once again revived the fortunes in the Leopards dressingroom with a 53 runs partnership for fourth wicket.
Off-spinner Zahid Mahmood scalped Masood for 21 when he came out of the crease to play a lanky stroke but failed to hit the ball and keeper Jamil made no mistake in stumping him instantaneously.
Wicketkeeper batsman Naeem Anjum returned to pavilion in the result of runout which was the joint-production of Ghumman and Jamali.
On the other end Zohib persisted to stir on his side’s total.
Mir Ali made Zeeshan Mushtaq his one-off sufferer by scolding his wickets for 3.
Yasin struck back scarcely to make Imad Wasim his wicket number four. Mir Ali secures his catch at deep midwicket.
Zohib completed his fifty off 37 balls and could add five more runs to it before Yasin made him his second victim with the possession of Sharjeel Khan. Zohib’s innings was comprised of six boundaries and a gigantic six.
The last two wickets of Fakhar Hussain and Iftakhar Anjum by Nauman Ali sealed the Islamabad innings for 164 in 19.2 overs.
Hyderabad Hawks VS Islamabad Leopards: Hyderabad Innings
Footstepping towards an exigent target, Hawks opener Sharjeel Khan started crushing Leopards’ bowling catastrophically.
He played splendid and powerful strokes all around the ground and invigorated his side’s total to 64 before skipper Ghumman returned to pavilion for 11 consequent to confusion with his crease partner.
Shakeel smashed 61 off 30 balls lashing five boundaries and equal number of sixes before Zohaib possessed him with the assistance of Raheel Majeed.
Zohaib removed Faisal Athar and Shahid Qambrani for 24 and 6 runs respectively to leave Hawks 113-4.
But Aqeel Anjum was not disappointed despite of losing back to back wickets. He failed to stumble on a right partner and stirred on to steer his side’s total.
Right arm leg-spinner Raheel Majeed turned the well-gripped match of Hawks into sensational by segregating Mir Ali and Aqeel Anjum for 6 and 29 runs in that order but it proved too late and Nauman Ali and Ghulam Yasin sealed the triumph for Hyderabad with five balls to spare.
In recompense to his superb innings, Sharjeel Khan was named for Man of the Match Award.
