Karachi Kings sealed what was an incredibly important win over Lahore Qalandars. That victory sent them past their competitors, clinching third place in the league table. The game, hosted at the National Stadium, was played in a shortened 15-over stand-alone format owing to inclement weather. Karachi’s win means they move level on points with Islamabad United. That sets the stage for what’s sure to be an exciting race as the tournament goes on!
Lahore came into this encounter looking to find some clear footing in the table but instead left lamenting lost opportunities. Although they lost to Multan Sultans, they are still only two points away from the top of the table, Quetta Gladiators. Lahore has a very healthy net run-rate advantage over Quetta, which could be valuable as the season goes on.
The match saw Lahore’s openers make a strong start, reaching a total of 90 runs before the dismissal of Mohammad Naeem in the eighth over. Naeem’s departure was a critical point for the team, as they couldn’t seem to get their momentum back after that. It was a short innings for Lahore as they were restricted to 160 for 8. The usually reliable middle order crumbled as five batters fell for single figure scores.
Fakhar Zaman provided the only highlight for Lahore by scoring 51 runs. His calm and composed performance provided much-needed stability to an otherwise erratic, chaotic, and tumultuous innings. David Warner and Tim Seifert scored 24. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to prevent the sharp decline of the team following Naeem’s departure. When Khushdil Shah was out for only nine runs, Karachi’s position became more critical. After being caught by Mohammad Naeem off Haris Rauf, they were left needing the impossible task of 52 runs from 22 balls.
On the bowling front, Abbas Afridi was the shining star for Karachi. His 4 for 27, plus his outstanding spell of bowling itself, would be paying its due within the confines of a crib’s walls. Each of his wickets was a testament to his brilliant bowling, which ultimately helped Karachi destroy the Lahore batting order and clinch the win.
Leave a Reply