Ali, Hasan star as Karachi Kings edge Quetta Gladiators

All-round performances by England’s Moeen Ali and pacer Hasan Ali guided Karachi Kings to a hard-fought 14-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

Opting to bat first in this PSL 11 encounter, Karachi Kings posted 181/7 in their 20 overs, recovering from early setbacks with a strong finish led by Moeen Ali.

The Kings suffered an early blow when opener Muhammad Waseem fell for a three-ball duck to Alzarri Joseph. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha then counterattacked with a brisk 22 off 10 balls, sharing a 41-run stand with David Warner before falling lbw to Daniyal.

Warner anchored the innings with 35 off 22 deliveries, while Saad Baig added a fluent 30 off 23 balls. Their 43-run partnership for the third wicket steadied Karachi before both departed in quick succession, leaving the side at 100/4 in 10.3 overs.

Azam Khan’s run-a-ball 14 ended in the 14th over, triggering a brief middle-order collapse. Moeen Ali then took charge, stitching a vital 39-run stand with Khushdil Shah (12) and finishing unbeaten on 48 off 29 deliveries, striking four fours and three sixes to lift Karachi Kings to a competitive total.

For Quetta Gladiators, Daniyal led the bowling with 3/36, while Alzarri Joseph claimed two wickets. Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed picked up one apiece.

Chasing 182 in this Pakistan Super League 2025 fixture, Quetta Gladiators fell short at 167/7 despite a blistering start led by Shamyl Hussain.

Hussain smashed 52 off 24 balls, including five fours and four sixes, sharing a rapid 79-run opening stand with captain Saud Shakeel in just seven overs before Salman Ali Agha broke the partnership.

The Gladiators then lost momentum as Khawaja Nafay (3) and Saud Shakeel (33 off 25) fell in quick succession to Adam Zampa and Moeen Ali, respectively.

Rilee Rossouw (25) and Hasan Nawaz attempted to rebuild with a 29-run stand, but Rossouw’s dismissal in the 16th over shifted the pressure back onto Quetta. Nawaz struggled for fluency, scoring 19 off 24 balls before falling to Hasan Ali in the penultimate over.

Hasan Ali then delivered a match-winning burst, removing Tom Curran and Ahmed Daniyal in the same over to derail the chase. He finished with figures of 4/27, emerging as the standout bowler for Karachi Kings.

Despite a late unbeaten cameo of 24 by Ben McDermott, Quetta Gladiators fell 14 runs short. Zampa, Moeen Ali and Salman Ali Agha chipped in with one wicket each.