The PSL 2024 losing streak of the Lahore Qalandars was extended to four games on Saturday, February 4, when the Karachi Kings triumphed in a thrilling match in Lahore.
Karachi Kings secured their second victory in the PSL 9 on Saturday night at Gaddafi Stadium by defeating Lahore Qalandars by two wickets. Karachi, chasing 176 against Lahore, succeeded in reaching the target on the game’s last ball.
Pitch report and toss update
Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium is mainly meant to favor batsmen, with a level playing surface that offers little assistance to bowlers. As the game rolls on, spinners might get some help, but pacers will have a hard time having a major effect on the pitch.
Because of the features of this surface, bowlers can have a greater influence in Lahore if they can grasp all aspects of spin. Thus, the Karachi Kings chose to field after winning the toss.
Lahore Qalandars got off to a stuttering start
After Shan Masood made an incredible sprinting catch, Fakhar Zaman was dismissed by left-arm pacer Mir Hamza in the third over, giving the Qalandars a poor start. After the powerplay, Lahore had a 32-1 score.
Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen shared a 36-run partnership until Tabraiz Shamsi ended it in the ninth over when the latter was caught leg-before for a 26 on 23 balls, including three boundaries.
Lahore fell to 54-3 in 9.4 overs when Ahsan Bhatti was removed for a run-a-ball eight after he holed out to Kieron Pollard at long-on off Hasan Ali’s bowling. The half-way point of Qalandars‘ innings saw them struggling at 59/ 3.
Lower order batsmen pushed the Qalandars to a competitive score
After batting 18 off 21 at the end of the 11th over, Farhan eventually started to contribute with a four and a six against the Sams in the 12th. Before the final overs, the Karachi Kings quickly took wickets, and the Qalandars were reduced to 123/6 in 16.
But Farhan shifted his gear, hitting a four and a maximum off Mir Hamza in the next over to reach a 36-ball fifty with a six off Sams in the 17th over. Hasan Ali bowled a composed 19th over, but Sams was costly again as 18 came from the last over after Linde hammered him for two fours and a six.
Lahore Qalandars reached 175/6 at the end of their inning. Each of Hasan, Hamza, and Shamsi took two wickets for the Karachi Kings, while Daniel Sams was expensive in his spell, giving away 52 runs.
Karachi Kings found themselves in deep trouble
The chase did not start well for the Karachi Kings, as they lost four wickets in the powerplay. The third over saw Shan run out. The next two overs saw Muhammad Akhlaq caught behind by Jahandad and Ahsan shatter James Vince’s stumps.
Mohammad Nawaz scored two boundaries against Zaman Khan in the sixth over, but on the last delivery, the right-arm fast bowler rattled Nawaz’s stumps.
In an over that resulted in 13 runs, Kieron Pollard made a magnificent six overs long off to signal his approach at the wicket. The Karachi innings were stabilized by a dominant fifth-wicket partnership between Pollard and Shoaib Malik, as the team reached 79-4 at the halfway mark.
Pollard and Malik’s partnership led the Karachi Kings to a last-ball win
Before Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Pollard in the 16th over, the two batted together to contribute 95 runs to the total. After hitting five maximums and one boundary to reach a half-century, the West Indies batsman walked back.
Malik was removed by Haris Rauf in the subsequent over.Hasan struck a six over mid-wicket on the first ball of the final over, needing 11 runs to win, reducing the score to five runs per delivery.
At long off, Haris captured Hasan on the penultimate ball. The next batter in, Hamza, scored the final run to propel Karachi over the finish line. Muhammad Irfan Khan also contributed with an undefeated 12 runs.
Haris, Shaheen, and Jahandad each got one wicket, while Zaman and Ahsan shared two wickets each.
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