LAHORE, MAR 29: Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
A collective bowling effort, followed by Muhammad Waseem’s sensible knock, helped Kings beat defending champions Qalandars.
Set to chase a modest 129-run target on a tricky surface, the 2020 champions knocked the winning runs for the loss of six wickets and three balls to spare.
The Kings got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost their captain, David Warner (eight) and top-order batter Salman Ali Agha (zero) in the third over, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi, with just 10 runs on the board.
Experienced opener Muhammad Waseem then took the reins of the Kings’ pursuit and shared two crucial partnerships with youngster Saad Baig (19) and Moeen Ali, until eventually falling victim to Shaheen in the 15th over.
Waseem remained the top-scorer for the Kings with a gutsy 38 off 37 deliveries, comprising three fours and a six.
Shaheen struck again in the same over, dismissing in-form Moeen, who could muster 18, as the Kings slipped to 88/5.
The hard-hitting duo of Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan then added 32 runs for the sixth wicket, which brought the equation down to 14 required off the final over.
However, the start of the final over was delayed as the on-field umpires analysed the ball and deemed that its condition was altered, which resulted in a five-run penalty for the fielding side, Qalandars, which meant the Kings were then only required nine off the final over.
Haris Rauf, bowling the final over, made an ideal start as he dismissed Khushdil (13) on the first delivery, courtesy of a well-judged catch by Sikandar Raza in the deep.
But Khushdil’s dismissal proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Kings as it brought Abbas Afridi on strike and the right-handed batter smashed Rauf for a four and a six on the first two deliveries he faced to steer his side to an enthralling victory.
Skipper Shaheen was the pick of the bowlers for the Qalandars, taking four wickets for just 18 runs in his four overs, while Mustafizur Rahman and Rauf bagged one wicket apiece.
Adam Zampa was named Player of the Match for his economical four-over spell, claiming two wickets for 11 runs.
Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s decision to bat first backfired as the holders could accumulate 128/9 in their 20 overs.
The home side got off to a shaky start to their innings as Moeen Ali got their in-form opener Fakhar Zaman (one) stumped in the first over with just three runs on the board.
Following the early setback, Abdullah Shafique joined opener Mohammad Naeem (13) in the middle, and the duo could raise 25 runs for the second wicket before the latter was caught and bowled by Mir Hamza in the fourth over.
Shafique was then involved in a brief 28-run partnership for the third wicket with Parvez Hossain Emon before both perished in successive overs, resulting in the Qalandars slipping to 62/4.
Shafique remained the top-scorer for the Qalandars with an anchoring 33 off 24 deliveries with the help of four fours and a six, while Emon made a run-a-ball 12.
Wicketkeeper batter Haseebullah Khan and all-rounder Sikandar Raza (19) then attempted to recover Qalandars by knitting a 43-run partnership for the fifth wicket, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal at the hands of Abbas Afridi in the 15th over.
The Qalandars then lost two more wickets of skipper Shaheen and Usama Mir in quick succession and slumped further to 119/7 in 17.1 overs.
Haseebullah, on the other hand, fell victim to Hasan Ali in the next over and walked back after scoring a cautious 28 off 30 deliveries, featuring one six and a four.
His dismissal exposed the Qalandars’ batting tail, which could yield just three runs in the final over, bowled by Mir Hamza.
For the Kings, Zampa, Hamza and Moeen bagged two wickets each, while Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Abbas chipped in with one scalp apiece.
