Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars in low-scoring PSL11 contest

Karachi Kings combined a disciplined bowling display with a composed chase led by Muhammad Waseem to defeat defending champions Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a tense Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a modest 129 on a challenging surface in this Pakistan Super League 2025 encounter, Karachi Kings reached 129/6 with three balls to spare.

The Kings made a poor start, losing captain David Warner (8) and Salman Ali Agha (0) in the same over to Shaheen Shah Afridi, slipping to 10/2 early.

Muhammad Waseem then anchored the innings with a steady 38 off 37 balls, forging key partnerships with Saad Baig (19) and Moeen Ali (18) to keep the chase on track.

Shaheen returned to dismiss both Waseem and Moeen in the 15th over, leaving Karachi at 88/5 and the match in the balance. Khushdil Shah (13) and Azam Khan added a crucial 32-run stand to bring the equation down to 14 off the final over.

A five-run penalty against Lahore Qalandars for ball tampering reduced the target further before Haris Rauf dismissed Khushdil on the first ball of the final over. Abbas Afridi then struck a four and a six in quick succession to seal a dramatic victory for Karachi Kings.

Shaheen Afridi was the standout bowler for Lahore Qalandars, finishing with 4/18, while Mustafizur Rahman and Haris Rauf took one wicket each.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars’ decision to bat first backfired as they were restricted to 128/9 in their 20 overs.

Fakhar Zaman fell early for one, while Abdullah Shafique top-scored with 33 off 24 balls. Contributions from Sikandar Raza (19) and Haseebullah Khan (28) helped steady the innings briefly, but regular wickets stalled momentum.

Karachi Kings’ bowlers shared the spoils, with Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza and Moeen Ali claiming two wickets each, while Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Abbas Afridi chipped in with one apiece.