Irfan Niazi pulls off stunning win for Kings against Qalandars

LAHORE: Irfan Niazi smashed unbeaten 48 off 21 balls as Karachi Kings pulled off a stunning win against Lahore Qalandars in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 168 in 15 overs in a rain-reduced game, Kings got over the line on the third ball of the final over to win the game by four wickets.

Skipper David Warner and Tim Seifert gave a brisk start to the Kings, providing them with a 40-run opening stand in three overs.

Haris Rauf broke the opening partnership on the first ball of the fourth over when he castled Warner on 24 off 13 balls.

Seifert was dismissed by Asif Afridi in the next over after he scored 24 off just 10 deliveries.

James Vince made 13 while Saad Baig was dismissed after scoring 25 runs off 15 balls, as the Qalandars were reduced to 100/4 in 9.2 overs.

Irfan Niazi then took charge of the chase alongside Khushdil Shah. However, the latter was removed by Haris Rauf on nine runs.

Irfan Niazi then stitched a match-winning 45-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi to take Karachi Kings to 161/5 in 14 overs as they needed seven off the last over.

Nabi was dismissed on the very first ball of the ultimate over, bringing Hasan Ali to the crease, who took a single on the second ball to give strike to Niazi.

Irfan Niazi hit a six on the third ball of the final over to finish the game in style for his side.

Earlier, Mohammad Naseem smashed 65 alongside Fakhar Zaman’s 51 as the home side posted 160 in 15 overs on the scoreboard against Kings in their PSL 10 clash.

Earlier, Karachi Kings won the toss and decided to bowl first in the game, which was reduced to 15 overs each side due to rain.

The chasing side will need 168 in 15 overs as per the DLS method.

The Qalandars were off to a flying start as their openers gave them a 90-run opening stand.

After getting a reprieve on 11, Mohammad Naeem charged Karachi Kings opener and smashed 65 off 29 balls, with the help of six fours and five sixes.

He fell to Aamer Jamal in the eighth over, bringing Abdullah Shafique to the crease to join Fakhar Zaman.

The right-handed batter was removed by Abbas Afridi on 18, who then dismissed Daryl Mitchell on a first-ball duck.

Sam Billings made two, and Sikandar Raza departed after scoring eight runs as Karachi Kings reduced the home side to 145/5 in 13.3 overs.

Fakhar Zaman’s 51-run knock came to an end when Abbas Afridi castled him in the 14th over.

Shaheen Afridi was dismissed for a duck while Asif Ali was run out in the ultimate over as Lahore Qalandars posted 160/8 in their 20 overs.

For Karachi Kings, Abbas Afridi bagged a four-fer, while Mir Hamza, Hasan Ali and Aamer Jamal picked up a wicket each.

Two-time champions Lahore Qalandars remained third with nine points in eight matches, while Karachi Kings are fourth with eight points in seven games.

Playing XIs

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Sikandar Raza, Asif Ali, Rishad Hossain, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, and Asif Afridi.

Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Tim Seifert (wk), James Vince, Saad Baig, Khushdil Shah, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hassan Ali, and Mir Hamza.

Kings have made a few adjustments to their squad following injuries to players.

Fast bowler Fawad Ali has been replaced with Saad Baig in the Emerging Category.

Additionally, Karachi Kings have brought in fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani to fill the spot left by Adam Milne, who was earlier ruled out of PSL 10 due to a knee injury.

The 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League kicked off on April 11 and will run till May 18.

The six-team tournament will consist of 34 matches with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting 13 matches, including the two Eliminators and the final.

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 PSL 10 matches, including the first Qualifier on May 13, while Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches.

Karachi’s National Bank Stadium has hosted five games of the ongoing edition.