The Pakistan Super League came as a breath of fresh air for a nation that has been starved of its favourite sport. It brought to life traditional rivalries – of course, all in good spirit – and for almost a month gave millions a reason to tune into sport channels and watch these unexpected stars from all across the globe battle it out in local jerseys.
While Quetta Gladiators put up a competitive score of 174 runs, Islamabad United emerged victorious with six wickets in hand. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq hit the winning run to a roaring crowd of cricket enthusiasts but it was Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin’s impressive innings
that led to ISLU’s big win.
Celebrities fly over to Dubai to support their favourite teams at Pakistan Super League’s thrilling finale.
The Pakistan Super League came as a breath of fresh air for a nation that has been starved of its favourite sport. It brought to life traditional rivalries – of course, all in good spirit – and for almost a month gave millions a reason to tune into sport channels and watch these unexpected stars from all across the globe battle it out in local jerseys. Tuesday night saw the championship come to an end and what a glamorous, exciting end it was. Underdogs Quetta Gladiators emerged as favourite finalists but Islamabad United, headed by captain Misbah-ul-Haq, upended all assumptions and were crowned the first champions of the T20 league. Amidst the rekindled beauty of the game were a number of celebs adding to the entertainment factor. Here is a round-up of who all made it to the night of triumph, celebration and much more:
Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh was also spotted having a good time at the final match. The actress came alongside friend Ali Zafar and was rooting for Islamabad United. When asked how PSL fared in comparison to IPL, the actress told reporters that it was a spectacular event given it was their first time and there is nothing more fun than a good game of cricket.
Wasim Akram, could be seen, ecstatic over his team’s win. The former cricketer took to Twitter to share his excitement. “What an honour it has been to be part of the Islamabad family. We are strong, our fans are loyal and we are united,” he wrote, adding, “The only thing more satisfying than a win is winning with the team you love.”
Fawad Khan (ambassador of ISLU), Ali Zafar and Humayun Saeed were all spotted cheering for their team and celebrating with this winning selfie. Fawad Khan, who will soon be seen in K Jo’s Kapoor and Sons, has been consistently spotted supporting his team on ground and so has Ali. Ali even took to social media to mark this day as his luckiest for it was the same day as his daughter’s first birthday and he caught his flight just in time, after the match, to Goa where he will start shooting for his next big Bollywood production – a film by Gauri Shinde, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.
Peshawar Zalmi captain Shahid Afridi, who lost in the semi-finals, was also spotted in the crowd and it was great to see cricketers forget rivalries and simply come out in support of the game.
The night had a patriotic start and for good reason – PSL after all was an achievement unto itself – as commentators including Rameez Raja, Alan Wilkins and Zainab Abbas dressed up in traditional shalwar kameez for the proceedings.
