Quetta Gladiators beat Karachi Kings in a thrilling contest in the 15th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Friday.
Karachi Kings narrowly missed victory and fell short by just six runs while chasing a modest target of 143 runs.
Despite a valiant effort, they managed only 137 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Tim Seifert top-scored for Karachi with a fighting 47-run knock, but his efforts had gone in vain.
James Vince contributed 30 runs, while skipper David Warner was dismissed early for just 4 runs by Mohammad Amir.
The middle order faltered as Shan Masood (9), Umar bin Yousuf (11), Mohammad Nabi (4), and Khushdil Shah (0) failed to make significant contributions.
Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers kept things tight throughout the innings.
Mohammad Amir, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. took two wickets each, playing a crucial role in derailing Karachi’s chase.
Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed was the most economical bowler of the day, conceding just 15 runs in his four overs and taking a wicket.
His disciplined spell earned him the Player of the Match award.
After being asked to bat first, Quetta Gladiators scored 142 runs for all out in 19.3 overs.
Quetta suffered an early loss when Hassan Ali showed the door to both openers in his first over at 8.
Faheem Ashraf emerged as the top scorer for his side. He scored 43 runs laced with three sixes.
Despite his efforts, the team struggled to build strong partnerships, with only Kusal Mendis and Hasan Nawaz offering moderate support by scoring 36 and 35 runs, respectively.
Other key batters failed to make an impact. Saud Shakeel managed just 6 runs, while New Zealand’s Finn Allen was dismissed for a duck.
South African power-hitter Rilee Rossouw also failed to fire, scoring only 6 runs before falling to Hasan Ali’s precision bowling.
Karachi Kings’ bowlers showcased a clinical performance, with veteran pacer Hasan Ali leading the attack by taking three crucial wickets.
Abbas Afridi and Mir Hamza also played vital roles, claiming two wickets each to maintain constant pressure on the opposition and restrict the scoring flow.
Karachi Kings captain David Warner won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Playing XIs
Karachi Kings: *David Warner, +Tim Siefert, James Vince, Shan Masood, Omair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Fawad Ali.
Quetta Gladiators: *Saud Shakeel, Fin Allen, Rilee Rossouw, +Kusal Mendis, Mark Chapman, Hasan Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Khurram Shahzad, Abrar Ahmed.