Karachi Kings Hold Nerve to Beat Qalandars in Low-Scoring Nail-Biter
LAHORE: Karachi Kings held their nerve in a tense low-scoring encounter to overcome defending champions Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in the sixth match of PSL 11 at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a tricky 129 on a challenging surface, the 2020 champions crossed the line with three balls remaining, despite losing six wickets along the way.
The Kings’ run chase got off to a shaky start as skipper David Warner (8) and Salman Ali Agha (0) were both removed by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the third over, leaving the side struggling at 10/2.
Muhammad Waseem then steadied the innings with a composed knock, building important partnerships with Saad Baig (19) and Moeen Ali. Waseem led the charge with a determined 38 off 37 balls, striking three boundaries and a six before falling to Shaheen in the 15th over.
Shaheen continued to make inroads, dismissing Moeen Ali (18) in the same over to leave Karachi reeling at 88/5.
Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan then revived hopes with a vital 32-run stand for the sixth wicket, reducing the target to 14 runs in the final over.
Drama unfolded before the last over as the umpires ruled that the ball had been tampered with, awarding Karachi five penalty runs. This reduced the equation to just nine needed off six deliveries.
Haris Rauf struck immediately, removing Khushdil Shah (13) on the first ball thanks to a sharp catch from Sikandar Raza. However, Abbas Afridi turned the game on its head, smashing a four and a six off his first two deliveries to seal a thrilling win for Karachi.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was the standout performer for Lahore, finishing with impressive figures of 4/18, while Mustafizur Rahman and Haris Rauf claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars’ decision to bat first did not pay off as they were restricted to 128/9 in their 20 overs.
Their innings got off to a poor start when Fakhar Zaman (1) was stumped off Moeen Ali in the opening over. Mohammad Naeem (13) and Abdullah Shafique attempted to rebuild, but Naeem fell early, caught and bowled by Mir Hamza.
Shafique looked in good touch, scoring 33 off 24 deliveries, and shared brief partnerships with Parvez Hossain Emon (12), but wickets kept falling at regular intervals, leaving Lahore at 62/4.
A 43-run partnership between Haseebullah Khan (28 off 30) and Sikandar Raza (19) offered some resistance, but Abbas Afridi broke the stand in the 15th over. Lahore then lost momentum again, slipping to 119/7 after quick dismissals of Shaheen and Usama Mir.
Haseebullah’s dismissal in the following over exposed the tail, and Lahore managed only three runs in the final over.
For Karachi Kings, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza, and Moeen Ali picked up two wickets each, while Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha, and Abbas Afridi contributed with one apiece.
