Explosive batting from Fakhar Zaman and Daryl Mitchell, followed by a dominant bowling display, helped Lahore Qalandars secure a comprehensive 65-run victory over Karachi Kings, marking their second consecutive win in the tenth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Karachi never looked in control during the chase, especially after Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in the very first over, removing skipper David Warner and in-form James Vince, who had scored a century in the previous match.
Tim Seifert and Shan Masood attempted to steady the innings, taking the score to 39, but Seifert’s struggling 18 off 22 balls ended when he was dismissed. Masood followed soon after, caught behind by Sam Billings for 18.
The collapse continued as Rishad Hameed struck twice in the same over, removing Irfan Khan, while Arafat Minhas and Abbas Afridi also fell cheaply to the spinners, leaving Kings reeling at 50 for 7.
At that point, Karachi looked set for one of the heaviest defeats in PSL history. However, Hasan Ali, who had earlier starred with the ball, offered resistance with the bat. He scored a gritty 27 off 25 deliveries, adding a 48-run stand with Khushdil Shah to take the total closer to respectability.
Shaheen returned to dismantle Hasan’s stumps, ending the partnership. Khushdil fought on with a 39 off 27, but the result was never in doubt as Karachi Kings were bowled out for 136 in the final over.
With this dominant performance, Qalandars climbed to second on the points table.
Shaheen Afridi and Rishad both took three wickets each, while Sikandar Raza picked up two, including the final wicket to wrap up the win.
Earlier, opting to bat first, Qalandars got off to a shaky start, losing two early wickets. Hasan Ali bowled a brilliant opening spell, dismissing Mohammad Naeem and Abdullah Shafique to put the pressure on early.
With two wickets down, Fakhar Zaman was joined by New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, and the pair rebuilt the innings superbly. Their 125-run stand for the third wicket gave Qalandars the momentum they needed.
Fakhar looked in fine touch, hammering 76 off 47 balls, including five sixes, before Hasan Ali returned to break the stand and dismiss the left-hander. Mitchell continued to anchor the innings and took the score to 178 with support from Sam Billings.
However, Hasan Ali struck again, claiming his fourth wicket in as many overs, removing Billings for a quick 19 off 10 balls. Mitchell eventually fell after a brilliant 75 off just 41 deliveries.
Lahore Qalandars finished strong, posting 201/6 in their 20 overs—crossing the 200-run mark for the second consecutive game.
For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali was the standout performer with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 28 runs. Abbas Afridi was expensive, conceding 47 runs, but managed to dismiss the well-set Mitchell.
Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain), Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishad Hossain, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi, Zaman Khan
Karachi Kings: David Warner (Captain), Tim Seifert (wk), James Vince, Shan Masood, Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Arafat Minhas, Abbas Afridi, Adam Milne, Hassan Ali, Fawad Ali.
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