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LAHORE: Karachi Kings held their nerve in a tense finish to register a four-wicket victory over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in a low-scoring encounter during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 129 on a tricky surface, Karachi stumbled early but recovered just in time to cross the line with three balls to spare, finishing on 131-6.
The run chase did not start as planned for the Kings as captain David Warner (8) and Salman Ali Agha (0) were both removed in the third over by the Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, leaving the side reeling at 10-2.
Muhammad Waseem then anchored the innings with a gritty 38 off 37 deliveries, stitching together valuable partnerships of 29 and 43 with Saad Baig (19) and Moeen Ali (18), respectively, to keep the chase alive.
However, Shaheen returned to dismantle the middle order, dismissing both Waseem and Moeen in the 15th over to put Lahore firmly back in control at 88-5.
With pressure mounting, Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan added a crucial 32-run stand, bringing the equation down to 14 required from the final over.
In a dramatic twist, a five-run penalty was awarded to Karachi after the umpires ruled the ball had been altered, reducing the target to nine off the last six deliveries.
Haris Rauf struck on the first ball of the final over, dismissing Khushdil courtesy of a sharp catch by Sikandar Raza.
But the game turned instantly as Abbas Afridi smashed a boundary and a six off the next two balls to seal a thrilling win for Karachi.
Earlier, Karachi Kings’ bowlers set up the contest with a disciplined effort to restrict Lahore to 128-9.
Moeen Ali provided an early breakthrough by removing Fakhar Zaman (1) in the opening over.
Abdullah Shafique then tried to stabilise the innings with a measured 33, adding small but useful partnerships of 25 and 28 with Mohammad Naeem (13) and Parvez Hossain Emon (12) respectively.
A 43-run stand between Haseebullah Khan (28) and Sikandar Raza (19) briefly revived Lahore’s hopes, but regular wickets ensured they never built sustained momentum.
For Karachi, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza and Moeen Ali picked up two wickets each, while Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Abbas Afridi chipped in with one apiece.
