On Saturday, during the ninth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Gaddafi Stadium, the Karachi Kings clinched a thrilling two-wicket victory over the Lahore Qalandars.
With a 176-run target in a nail-biting finish, the Kings secured the win on the final ball, marking the Qalandars’ fourth consecutive defeat this season.
In the decisive last over, with 11 runs required, Hasan Ali and Irfan Khan Niazi faced spinner Ahsan Bhatti. Hasan’s six narrowed the gap to five runs. Despite a mix of singles and a double, a spectacular catch by Haris Rauf momentarily revived the Qalandars’ hopes.
When facing the last ball, Mir Hamza edged the team to victory with a crucial inside edge.
The Kings initially struggled, losing four wickets early in their innings. However, a vital partnership between Kieron Pollard and Shoaib Malik, yielding 95 runs for the fifth wicket, shifted the momentum. Pollard’s explosive 58 off 33 balls and Malik’s steady 39 off 32 contributed significantly to their chase.
For the Qalandars, Zaman Khan impressed with 2/19, and Haris Rauf added a wicket to his tally.
The Qalandars, opting to bat first, faced an early setback with Mir Hamza dismissing Fakhar Zaman. Despite a challenging phase, Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen built a promising partnership, which was interrupted by Tabraiz Shamsi’s dismissal of van der Dussen.
Farhan’s resilience and a late partnership with George Linde propelled the Qalandars to 175. Farhan remained unbeaten with 72 runs, while Linde contributed a rapid 26, setting a competitive total.
Karachi Kings’ bowlers, including Hamza, Shamsi, and Hasan Ali, each took two wickets, maintaining pressure throughout the Qalandars’ innings.
