The fielding act by the Pakistan and Islamabad United seamer in PSL 2023 was reminiscent of the similarly good six-saver by the Indian fielder during 2020 New Zealand T20I series.
Hasan Ali pulled off probably his finest act as a fielder during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) league stage encounter held on Friday (March 3). The Pakistan and Islamabad United pacer made a valiant attempt to save a near-certain six in his team’s game against the Karachi Kings.
Hasan was seen completing an excellent diving save at the boundary when it seemed that Kings’ right-hand batter Irfan Khan is set to find a maximum off a brilliant shot down the ground against United seamer Tom Curran.
Picking a back-of-the-hand slower ball early from Curran, Khan advanced at the ball and smashed it with brute power towards the long-on region where Hasan Ali was stationed. The ball went miles in the air and looked like going over the fielder for a six.
What followed, however, was a dramatic catch that shall put Hasan among the earliest candidates for the catch of the tournament in PSL 2023. The fielder made a split-second decision to dive at the ball and fetched it from behind the boundary ropes towards his long-off partner Rassie van der Dussen in an excellent tag-team grab.
The catch took place when Kings were in mood for no respite, trying to get as many as they can at the death. Running into bowl at a well-set Khan for the start of the 19th over, Curran decided to unleash his trademark back-of-the-hand slower ball. But the batter picked it early and dispatched it for what felt like a certain maximum when the ball left the bat.
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However, in the way of Khan and the Kings was United’s veteran quick Hasan Ali, stationed at long-on, as he pulled off an outstanding six-saving dive. The Pakistan seamer not only timed his jump and the dive to perfection while the ball sailed over his head but also made sure it went to his partner Dussen, who was alert to the possibility of a rebound catch.
Catch hai, catch hai! 😮
Excellent work by @RealHa55an! #SabSitarayHumaray l #HBLPSL8 I #IUvKK pic.twitter.com/gUFCcHnogu
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 3, 2023
Khan couldn’t have believed his misfortune at the time, being undone by a catch that would’ve reminded Indian fans watching the PSL action of the similarly exceptional boundary save made by Sanju Samson during the 2020 T20I series versus New Zealand.
During the final T20I of the five-match series, Samson played his part in helping India come out on top in a thriller with an excellent six-saver off the bat of Ross Taylor when he pulled seamer Shardul Thakur towards the deep mid-wicket region.
