Defending champions Islamabad United are off to a winning start in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017 as the beat Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets. United chased down the revised target of 173 runs in 18 overs with two balls to spare after a brief rain spell halted the game brining their 191 run target in 20 overs down to 173 in 18.

Brad Haddin top-scored with 73 scored off only 39 balls, his innings included three sixes and 18 fours, Dwayne Smith scored 55 off 49 balls, Haddin and Smith added 104 runs in a match winning alliance that got their title defence to an excellent start.

Earlier a scintillating 88 run innings by Peshawar Zalmi wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal propelled the team to a score of 190 for nine in the allotted 20 overs.

After losing Mohammad Hafeez on the opening ball of the match and the tournament the Zalmis roared back in contention with a 122 run partnership in only 68 balls between Akmal and Dawid Malan who scored 43 in only 30 balls with the help of three sixes and four fours.

Akmal smashed six massive sixes besides hitting four boundaries in his innings that came off 48 balls. Zalmis suffered with a blip in form during the last few overs of their innings, they lost their middle and lower order in a clutter yet ended with a big score with eight wickets falling for an addition of 60 runs.

Shane Watson took four wickets conceding 44 runs in his quota of four overs