Kings thrash Gladiators by 9 wickets

Karachi Kings made a strong start to their PSL 2026 campaign on Saturday, beating the Gladiators by nine wickets. Chasing 196, the Kings got there in just 18.3 overs, with David Warner and Reeza Hendricks putting on an unbeaten 141-run partnership that the Gladiators had no answer to.

The Gladiators batted first and posted 195 for 6. Rilee Rossouw top-scored with 90 off 54 balls, hitting 8 fours and 6 sixes. Captain Saud Shakeel added 57 off 34 balls, and the two put on 148 runs together for the third wicket. At that point, the Gladiators looked set for a big total.

But when Shakeel was dismissed in the 15th over, everything changed. The lower order could not keep up the pace. Hasan Ali took 2 for 41 and Muhammad Abbas Afridi took 2 wickets in 2.2 overs as the Gladiators finished well short of where they wanted to be.

Shakeel admitted his side came up short. "I think our start was rusty - they played better cricket and we were second best," he said. "My wicket was a turning point. We should have taken the game deep."

In reply, Jason Roy and Warner gave the Kings a solid start with 58 runs for the first wicket. After Roy went for 20, Warner and Hendricks took over and never looked back. Warner hit an unbeaten 89 off 48 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes. Hendricks was just as destructive, making an unbeaten 87 off 48 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes. The Gladiators' bowlers - Alzarri Joseph, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq - all went for over 40 runs each without much success.

Moeen Ali was named Player of the Match. "The wicket was not as good as it was at the start," he said. "You needed to play proper shots and stay calm. Usman Tariq is a world-class spinner - he breaks your rhythm. I just delayed my shots against him."

Kings captain Warner was pleased with how his team performed. "The spinners bowled really well to get us back into the game," he said. "The preparations were good."

It was a near-perfect night for Karachi. For the Gladiators, the work starts now.

Karachi Kings 199/1 (18.3 overs) beat Quetta Gladiators 195/6 (20 overs) by 9 wickets. Moeen Ali, Player of the Match.