Irfan Khani Niazi starred with the bat as Karachi Kings won a nail-biting thriller against arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, on Sunday.
Karachi chased down a formidable 161-run target in just 14.3 overs to defeat Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a 15-over-a-side match.
After being put into bat, Lahore Qalandars posted 160 for 8, riding on a blistering opening partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem.
Naeem was the standout performer, smashing 65 off just 29 balls with six fours and five sixes at a staggering strike rate of 224.13. Fakhar supported him well with a 33-ball 51.
However, the Qalandars’ momentum dipped sharply after their 90-run opening stand was broken. Abbas Afridi led Karachi’s bowling attack with a fiery spell, finishing with 4 for 27 in his three overs.
He dismantled the Qalandars’ middle order, dismissing Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, and Sikandar Raza quickly. The rest of the batting lineup crumbled under pressure, adding only 70 runs in the last 7.1 overs.
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Chasing 168 for victory, Karachi Kings showed aggressive intent from the outset. Captain David Warner scored a quick 24 off 13 before falling to Haris Rauf, while Tim Seifert added an explosive 24 off 10 deliveries.
Saad Baig and James Vince chipped in with useful contributions, but it was Irfan Khan who stole the show with a match-winning knock.
Irfan hammered 48* off just 21 balls, including five sixes, guiding Karachi to victory with three balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi also played a crucial cameo, scoring 15 off 8. Daryl Mitchell, despite a duck with the bat, made a strong impact with the ball, taking 2 for 9 in his 1.3 overs.
Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Lahore, claiming 2 for 40, but lacked support from the rest of the attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Asif Ali went wicketless and were expensive in their spells.
The win keeps Karachi Kings firmly in playoff contention, while Lahore Qalandars will need to bounce back quickly to keep their campaign alive.
PSL 10 surpasses 1.1 billion digital views in just 12 matches
Next fixture
As the action shifts to Multan, home team Multan Sultans will take on arch-rivals Peshawar Zalmi at the Multan Stadium on Monday. The match will start at 8:00 PM.
PSL 10 points table
| Team | Matches (M) | Wins (W) | Losses (L) | Points (PT) | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QG | 8 | 5 | 2 | 11 | +0.906 |
| IU | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | +0.650 |
| KK | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | +0.479 |
| LQ | 9 | 4 | 4 | 9 | +0.912 |
| PZ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -0.507 |
| MS | 8 | 1 | 7 | 2 | -2.597 |
Past PSL winners
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PSL 2016 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
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PSL 2018 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2019 – Quetta Gladiators
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PSL 2020 – Karachi Kings
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PSL 2021 – Multan Sultans
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PSL 2022 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2023 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2024 - Islamabad United
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