Karachi Kings' Stunning Win Extends Lahore Qalandars' Winless Streak

Muhammad Waqas 

Lahore Qalandars: 175/6 (20) | Farhan 72*(45), Linde 26*(13) | Hasan 2/31, Hamza 2/31 

Karachi Kings: 176/8 (20) | Pollard 58(33), Malik 39(32) | Ahsan 2/19, Zaman 2/25

Karachi Kings sealed a victory from the jaws of defeat, keeping Lahore Qalandars winless in the tournament.

Mir Hamza gets a fortunate run after an inside edge 

Facing a daunting task to defend 11 runs in 6 balls, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti bowled the last over. With Hasan Ali and Irfan Khan Niazi at the crease for Karachi. Hasan Ali relieved the pressure by dispatching a huge six on the first ball of the over, narrowing the equation to 5 off 5 and then 1 off 2. However, Haris Rauf took a brilliant catch to remove Hasan Ali, keeping the hopes alive for the Qalandars. Yet, Karachi Kings went home after Mir Hamza’s fortuitous edge yielded the final run on the last ball.

Karachi Kings pursuit of victory had a shaky start, with losing four wickets within the powerplay. However, the partnership between Kieron Pollard and Shoaib Malik revived their hopes. The duo exhibited exemplary resilience, stitching together a vital 95-run stand for the fifth wicket. Pollard’s blistering 58 off 33 deliveries including five sixes and a boundary, while Malik’s composed 39 off 32 balls progressed King’s chased on the way to the victory. Nonetheless, Lahore Qalandars made a great comeback by captain Shaheen Afridi dismissing Pollard and Haris Rauf removing Malik. With 19 required off the last two overs, Zaman Khan took the wicket of Daniel Sams with a perfect yorker. With 15 required off 7 balls, Irfan Khan hit a boundary to further close the equation.

Zaman khan and Ahsan Hafeez took two wickets each, while Shaheen, Rauf and Jahandad dismissed one batter each.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, Lahore Qalandars lost Fakhar Zaman in the third over and their struggle continued till the halfway up as they scored just 59/3. Though, Sahibzada Farhan, who was playing at 18 off 21, finished the innings with an unbeaten 72 off 45 deliveries. Rassie Van Der Dussen’s 26 runs, Shai Hope’s cameo of 21 runs from 13 balls, and George Linde’s brisk 26 off 13 propelled Lahore to a total of 175/6.

For Karachi Kings, Mir Hamza, Hasan Ali, and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed two wickets each.

Turning Point:

Seeing the context of the game, Hasan Ali’s six on the first ball of last over made things easy for the Kings. So that can be considered as the turning point of the game (in winning cause).