PSL 2021: Records tumble in Karachi Kings and Islamabad United match

• Islamabad United had defeated Karachi Kings by chasing the target of 197 with loss of 5 wickets and five balls to spare
• Babar Azam becomes first player to feature in most century partnership in PSL
• Islamabad’s 197/5 was the fifth highest successful chase in PSL history

KARACHI: The sixth match of Pakistan Super League 2021, played between Karachi Kings and Islamabad United on Wednesday, created several new records of the tournament’s history.

United had successfully chased the target of 197 set by Kings with the loss of 5 wickets and five balls to spare.

While Islamabad United remarkably reached the big total without any of their batsmen reaching the half-century mark, the Karachi Kings innings included a century by Sharjeel Khan and a half century by Babar Azam.

Highest partnership

The Kings’ duo scored 176 runs for the first wicket partnership. The highest partnership for any wicket in history of PSL. 

The previous record also involved Babar Azam when he scored 157 for the first wicket partnership with Liam Livingstone against Multan Sultans in 2019.

Read more: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by five wickets

Babar Azam - Player with most century partnerships

This was the seventh century stand in PSL involving Babar Azam making him the player with most century partnership contributor in PSL.

Top scorer

Babar, who scored 62 off 54, also extended his collective PSL runs tally to over 1600 runs. He has now scored 1602 runs in 47 innings to be the top run scorer in the history of PSL, followed by Kamran Akmal with 1579 runs in 57 innings.

Most centuries

Sharjeel Khan’s century, 105 off 59, was the ninth hundred to be scored in the PSL history. It was also his second century of the PSL. He had earlier scored 117 in inaugural edition of PSL, representing Islamabad United.

He is the only player after Kamran Akmal to score more than one century. Kamran has scored 3, Sharjeel has 2 scores of three figures in the tournament. The other centurions of tournament include Colin Ingram, Cameron Delport, Rilee Rossouw and Chris Lynn.

Read more: PSL 2021 to now be held with 50% attendees after NCOC's nod

5th highest chase

Islamabad’s 197/5 was tournament’s fifth highest successful chase.

Interestingly, it was the 22nd toss win by Islamabad and they have opted to bowl first in each occasion and have made 18 successful chases, till date.