Sultans lose 7th game in HBL-PSL-X: Vince, Khushdil and Nabi shine for Kings

LAHORE: David Warner’s Karachi Kings romped to a dominating 87-run win over Multan Sultans here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in first game of the double-header on Thursday.

Karachi Kings now have four wins to their name, while Sultans lost their seventh game out of the eight they have played. Karachi was helped to the win by James Vince’s unbeaten half-century, all-round brilliance of Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi’s economical three-for.

Sultans were dismissed for 117 in 16.1 overs, chasing the mammoth 205-run target, with no one except Kamran Ghulam and Yasir Khan crossing the 20-run mark. For Kings Mohammad Nabi (3-14) and Khushdil (2-26) shared five wickets among them, while Mir Hamza (2-15) had the best figures among pacers.

Aamir Jamal drew the first blood for Kings by dismissing Mohammad Rizwan in the second over, while Mir Hamza and Mohammad Abbas Afridi struck to dismiss Usman Khan and Yasir Khan (26, 17b, 1x4, 3x6s), respectively as Sultans were left reeling at 34-3 in 4.2 overs.

Kings landed blow after blow as Nabi and Khushdil bowled in tandem to put pressure on Sultans’ batting line-up. Kamran Ghulam’s two fours and one six in his 25-ball 29 were not enough to put their innings on track as he ran out of partners on regular intervals.

Sultans could only add 32 runs to their total for the last five wickets with Chris Jordan remaining unbeaten for a nine-ball 14 with the help of one four and one six.

Earlier, Karachi Kings breached the 200-run mark only for the fourth time in HBL PSL history, two of which have come in 2025 against Sultans, as their batters went berserk.

After opting to bat first, David Warner, who smashed a 13-ball 30 with the help of four fours and two sixes, and Tim Seifert (22, 11b, 3x4s, 1x6) laid the tone for the big score with a quickfire 53-run stand taking just 23 balls.

Seifert and Warner fell to Ubaid Shah and David Willey, respectively in a space of three balls, while no.4 batter Omair Bin Yousuf returned for a five-ball solitary run as Kings finished the Powerplay with 60-3 on the board.

Kings’ top-scorer and no. 3 batter Vince and Muhammad Irfan Khan joined forces for the next 56 balls to collect 78 runs. With 91 runs on the board at halfway mark, Irfan tonked Usama Mir for consecutive sixes to ransack 16 runs off the 11th over.

Curtis Campher provided the Sultans with much-needed breakthrough removing Irfan (40, 33b, 2x4s, 3x6s) in the 15th over. Vince, who remained unbeaten for 65 off 45 balls clubbing five fours and two sixes, then got together with Khushdil to help Kings score 66 runs off the last five overs.

Khushdil smoked three sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 33 off just 13 balls helping Karachi to a solid total of 204-4 in the allotted 20 overs.

Scores in brief:

Match 20: Karachi Kings beat Multan Sultans by 87 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Karachi Kings 204-4, 20 overs (James Vince 65 not out, Muhammad Irfan Khan 40, Khushdil Shah 33 not out, David Warner 30, Tim Seifert 22; Ubaid Shah 2-49)

Multan Sultans 117 all out, 16.1 overs (Kamran Ghulam 29, Yasir Khan 26; Mohammad Nabi 3-14, Mir Hamza 2-15, Khushdil Shah 2-15)

Player of the match – James Vince (Karachi Kings)

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