Imad Wasim. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
The Pindi Cricket Stadium witnessed an entertaining PSL clash on Thursday night, retired all-rounder Imad Wasim created quite a stir in the match between Karachi Kings and Islamabad United.
The 35-year-old, known for his on-field antics, found himself at the receiving end of ‘Babar, Babar‘ chants from the crowd. While fielding near the boundary, he responded by mimicking football legend Lionel Messi’s iconic celebration, raising his shirt in a popular act of the world-famous footballer.
The incident took fans back to Messi’s iconic celebration after scoring a last-gasp winner for Barcelona against Real Madrid in El Clásico back in 2017 when he held his shirt at the Santiago Bernabéu. Imad’s response quickly went viral on social media, drawing reactions from fans worldwide. Notably, Real Madrid won the popular encounter as the scoreline read 3-2.
Hahahaha Unbelievable Clownery. Just 14 runs in whole PSL and Copy Messi and Ronaldo ko kar raha hahahaha 🤣🤣🤣 #imadwasim #BabarAzam #PSL9 #T20Cricket #viralreels pic.twitter.com/KKQO3c0gM7
— Waqar Ahmed Afridi (@RealWaqarAfridi) March 7, 2024
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Islamabad United defeat Karachi Kings
Opting to bat first, Karachi Kings faced early setbacks, losing key wickets in the initial overs. However, the resilient innings of Kieron Pollard proved instrumental in steering the team to a competitive total of 150/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Pollard’s aggressive knock of 39 off 28 deliveries, supported by valuable contributions from James Vince (29) and others, helped Karachi set a respectable target. But Tymal Mills (3/34) and Faheem Ashraf (2/16) kept things tight for Islamabad. Imad himself was economical with the ball, conceding just 18 runs from his 4 overs while dismissing the dangerous all-rounder Shoaib Malik.
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In reply, Shadab Khan’s 34 off 26 balls took Islamabad home, as they won the game by 5 wickets with 8 balls remaining. Faheem Ashraf was awarded the Player of the Match award for his valuable contribution to United’s win.