Heart-wrenching Encounter Favors Quetta, Handing Kings Back-to-Back Defeats at Home

Muhammad Waqas

Karachi Kings: 165/8 (20) | Vince 37(25), Irfan 28(19) | Abrar 3/31, Tariq 2/16 

Quetta Gladiators: 169/5 (20) | Rutherford 58*(31), Roy 52(31) | Zahid 2/17, Malik 1/19

The Quetta Gladiators’ triumph leaves Karachi Kings reeling, as the West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford pulled off a victory for his team against all odds.  

With 15 runs needed in the last over, Sherfane Rutherford’s back-to-back sixes off Anwar Ali seemed to seal the game. Yet, Anwar’s two dot balls brought suspense. With 3 runs required off 2 balls, a collision between Rutherford and Anwar Ali raised the tension, but the third umpire rules no obstruction. With 1 required off the last ball, Rutherford hit the winning boundary, securing a win out of nowhere.

Chasing 166, Quetta Gladiators got off to a solid start with Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel putting together a 57-run opening stand. However, Karachi Kings fought back strongly, dismissing Saud Shakeel, Khawaja Nafay and Sarfaraz Ahmed. With the game hanging in balance, Roy was dismissed by Shoaib Malik and Zahid Mehmood removed Rilee Rossouw in the following over. Quetta Gladiators found themselves struggling at 89-5 after 12.1 overs, placing Karachi Kings firmly on the driving seat.

However, Rutherford took charge of the chase, ably supported by Akeal Hosein, and finished the game with an unbeaten 80-run sixth-wicket partnership. He smashed 31-ball 58 runs, while Akeal Hosein remained not out at 22 runs off 17 balls.

For Karachi Kings, Zahid Mehmood was impressive with figures 2/17 (4), while Hasan Ali took 2 wickets and Shoaib Malik dismissed one batter.

Earlier, put into bat first, Karachi Kings lost their captain Shan Masood who was sent back to the pavilion by Akeal Hosein in the first over. But James Vince and Tim Siefert counterattacked brilliantly, adding 59 runs and guiding Kings to 61/1 at the end of the powerplay.

Nevertheless, it was Usman Tariq who turned the tide in Quetta’s favor by dismissing both Vince and Siefert in his first over. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Nawaz then steadied the innings for Karachi with a crucial 39-run fourth-wicket partnership. However, Abrar Ahmed’s breakthrough removed Malik, and Nawaz’s dismissal triggered a collapse in Karachi’s lower middle order. Kieron Pollard was removed by Abrar after scoring 13 runs off 10.

Thanks to a late cameo by Anwar Ali, who hit two sixes in the last over, driving Karachi Kings to post a competitive total of 165/8.