Lahore Qalandars' players celebrate after winning the match against Islamabad United at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi on Saturday. AFP

Defending 12 in the last over, the 20-year-old Zaman gave away just three runs off the first four balls before hard-hitting batter Asif Ali holed out at long off for 15 off the fifth delivery as Islamabad finished at 166-5.

Zaman finished with 1-29 but his last-over heroics upstaged Shadab Khan’s brilliant all-round performance to win player of the match award.

Earlier, leg-spinner Shadab (4-20) and fast bowler Waqas Ahmed (4-35) both pulled back Lahore’s total to 174-9 through some superb bowling in the middle and death overs.

Colin Munro was lucky to score 60 off 45 balls and Shadab (52) made his second half-century this season as Islamabad cruised to 136-2 in 15 overs.
Lahore could have got the wicket of Munro before he had scored, but Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi didn’t go for leg before wicket review against the New Zealand left-hander.

Rashid Khan broke the century stand when Shadab played an expansive shot against the googly of Afghanistan leg-spinner and was caught at deep mid-wicket.
"We should have finished off the game, but I played a rash shot which cost us the game,” Shadab said.

Asif, famous for his big shots in T20s, smashed Haris Rauf for a six in the 19th over to bring down the target to 12, but Zaman intelligently varied his pace in the final over to deny Islamabad victory.

Lahore earlier were derailed by the spin of Shadab in the middle overs despite getting a blazing start of 83 runs from Abdullah Shafique (44) and Fakhar Zaman (38).

Shadab grabbed four of the five wickets as Lahore slumped to 98-5 in space of 23 balls. Harry Brook made 37 and David Wiese scored 20 but Ahmed picked up four wickets including three in the last over to peg back Lahore’s total.

With six points, Lahore is second behind Multan Sultans, who will take on Peshawar Zalmi in Saturday’s other game. Islamabad have four points from four games.

Associated Press