Karachi Kings’ bid to start strong in the HBL 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be without star signing Kane Williamson, who will miss a significant portion of the tournament’s opening rounds, as confirmed by team owner Salman Iqbal
Iqbal was pressed in a recent interview regarding the franchise's decision to sign Australia's David Warner and hand him the captaincy in his debut season wth the Karachi Kings. He revealed that the decision came due to Williamson's unavailability for the first five matches of the HBL PSL X season.
These matches include crucial fixtures against Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Peshawar Zalmi.
Iqbal joked about Williamson captaining the team through zoom, becuase he was likely to miss a significant portion of the start.
Though Karachi Kings have not provided specific details behind Williamson’s absence, sources suggest that the Kiwi star's IPL commitments may have played a role, as he is expected to be tied up with commentary duties during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Additionally, Williamson is recovering from a quad strain he sustained during the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, an injury that had already ruled him out of recent T20I and ODI series against Pakistan.
The 33-year-old is expected to join the Karachi Kings squad ahead of their match against Quetta Gladiators on April 25, which could mark his much-anticipated PSL 2025 debut.
Notably, Williamson was initially overlooked in the PSL 2025 draft but was later picked up by Karachi Kings in the supplementary round, a decision that many considered a strategic move by the franchise.
Iqbal was also asked about why a domestic player, such as Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood, was not considered for the captaincy role.
"Shan is a very good athlete, but he's a bit different for T20s. He's an ODI and Test player," said Iqbal. "Shan still has to make a comeback in T20."
Warner, along with fellow overseas recruits Tim Seifert and Adam Milne, will look to guide the team to better fortunes following their fifth-place finish in PSL 2024.
The Kings will open their PSL 10 campaign against Multan Sultans on April 12 in the first double-header of the tournament.
While fans eagerly await Williamson’s return, the franchise is optimistic that once fit, the seasoned Kiwi batter will provide the experience and quality needed to drive Karachi Kings’ success in PSL 2025.
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