PSL 2026: Rizwan, Ghulam, star as Rawalpindiz crush Islamabad for maiden win

Rawalpindiz finally registered their first win of the Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026), beating Islamabad United by six wickets in Match 34 on Thursday, April 23 at National Stadium, Karachi. Batting first, Islamabad United were bundled out for 137 in their 20 overs as Dian Forrester, Mohammad Amir (2/21) and Saad Masood (2/27) scalped two wickets each.

In reply, Rawalpindiz chased down the target in 18.1 overs, with solid knocks from captain Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam (42 off 30). Earlier, Islamabad were rocked inside the powerplay as Sameer Minhas (6 off 11), Mohammad Faiq (5 off 6) and captain Shadab Khan (1 off 2) were sent back into the pavilion, leaving their team on 30/3 in 6.1 overs.

While wickets continued to fall, Devon Conway (40 off 33) held one end and stitched a 49-run stand off 32 balls with Mark Chapman (23 off 18) to stabilise the innings. The partnership between the Kiwi duo was brought to an end by their compatriot, Daryl Mitchell (1/25, 2 overs), who dismissed Conway.

Chapman also got trapped in front by Asif Afridi (1/17) as Islamabad were left reeling at 79/5 in 12.1 overs. In the end, only Chris Green (29 off 16) could make a valuable contribution as Islamabad got bundled out for 137.

In reply, Rawalpindiz got off to the worst possible start, losing Abdullah Fazal on the very first delivery. However, captain Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam stabilised the innings with their 78-run stand off 56 balls for the second wicket.

Following their partnership, Islamabad got a sniff back into the game with three quick wickets as Rawalpindiz were reduced to 99/4 in 14.3 overs. However, Daryl Mitchell (32 off 25) and Dian Forrester (13 off 12), ensured there were no more hiccups in the chase. 

As a result, Rawalpindiz finally got their first victory of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) history and opened their account on the PSL 2026 points table, with two points from nine matches, but remained on the last spot. On the other hand, Islamabad maintained third position with nine points from eight matches.

Top run-scorer of the Match

Top wicket-taker of the Match

Player of the Match

Mohammad Rizwan was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant innings of 45 (38) that got Rawalpindiz's chase off to a terrific start and gave the perfect platform for the rest of the batters.

Turning Point

Devon Conway and Mark Chapman were taking Islamabad to a good score through their fourth-wicket partnership. However, Daryl Mitchell didn't let their union at the crease extend beyond 49 runs by dismissing Conway, which resulted in a collapse for Islamabad. The moment became the turning point of the match.

What did the captains say:

Winning Captain, Mohammad Rizwan (Rawalpindiz):

First of all, this win is for the Pindiz fans who kept supporting us. It’s hard to put into words, but we gave a strong effort, especially against a tough opposition. Credit definitely goes to our bowlers. The pitch was slightly better for the new ball, and the way Amir bowled along with Asif Afridi in the powerplay was excellent. We wanted to restrict them to a below-par score, and those 10-15 runs we saved made the difference, helping us win comfortably.

Losing Captain, Shadab Khan (Islamabad United):

In the first six overs, the things we had been doing well didn’t happen today. Because of that, we lost momentum in the first six overs as a batting unit. But obviously, we have to move on quickly, because the gap between matches is very short.