Karachi Kings 199 for 5 (Azam 74, Warner 50, Mitchell 3-32) beat Rawalpindiz 197 for 6 (Mitchell 65, Billings 58, Hasan 3-24, Khushdil 2-37) by five wickets
Karachi Kings continued their excellent run in the PSL 2026 as they chased down 198 with five wickets in hand and four balls spare against Rawalpindiz at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night. Kings have now won three in three and sit at the top of the points table again, after Multan Sultans' win yesterday had dislodged them briefly.
The two innings followed a similar pattern - both sides had quiet periods in the middle of the powerplay and at the halfway mark of their innings, before their middle orders stepped on the gas. But what differentiated Kings from Rawalpindiz was Azam Khan's 34-ball rampage, in which 60 of his 74 runs were scored off boundaries. This was his first PSL half-century in two editions, and it included as many as three reprieves with Rishad Hossain (twice) and Mohammad Amir putting down chances.
Chasing this total was never going to be an issue on this pitch, which was hosting only its second match of this PSL - the first one had been played earlier in the day. For that very reason - and with rain expected - David Warner, the Kings captain, decided to field at the toss. The rain did not interrupt the match, except for a very brief while, when umpires asked for the covers after the first three balls of the contest, and sent them back before the groundsmen could make it to the middle.
Muhammad Waseem provided a flying start by hitting Naseem Shah for big sixes in the second over, after he had gotten two boundaries of Amir in the first. On the other hand, Salman Agha finished off the powerplay with three fours off young Amir Khan's over. Amir finished on the expensive side with none for 44 off his four overs, but his first five balls were pure class. He hit proper Test match channels and moved the ball away from Agha, who failed to connect, at an express pace. The last ball of that over flew for six over point only because Amir had floated the ball and landed it wider, allowing Agha to extend his arms.
Warner scored a scratchy 50 off 36 balls, struggling to find rhythm until he holed out to deep midwicket. He faced only nine balls in the powerplay and started to score beyond a-run-a-ball only from the ninth over. He played a few gorgeous drives. The last of these, against Hossain, brought up his half-century in 35 balls.
Naseem had to be replaced with Cole McConchie two balls into the 17th over when the fast bowler walked off, clinching the left side of his lower back. The run chase seemed to be heading towards a thriller with 43 required off 22 but Azam plundered the offspinner, who bowled seam-up rather than conventional offbreaks, for two monstrous sixes and a boundary on the last three balls to kill the drama. Azam plundered 31 runs off seven balls, before he was finally caught in the penultimate over, putting Kings in total command of the chase.
It was a solid 120-run stand for the fourth wicket between Daryl Mitchell and Sam Billings - who both scored half-centuries - that propelled Rawalpindiz towards a near 200-run total. Khushdil Shah - who took out the stumps of Yasir Khan and Kamran Ghulam - and Adam Zampa put a chokehold after the powerplay. It was only a fielding lapse by Hasan Ali - who later bowled an exceptional two overs at the death - that provided relief to Rawalpindiz at the start of the 13th over. The reprieve cost 13 runs as Khushdil was struck for three fours and a six in a 19-run over that spoiled his returns.
Abbas Afridi, who would go on to finish the game with a six for second time in as many matches for Kings, was spanked for four fours - all through the leg side - in the 17th over. Rawalpindiz looked certain to go beyond 200. But Hasan's clever variations and excellent use of the hard length derailed the innings as he bowled Billings and McConchie in the 18th and 20th overs, allowing only seven and six runs, respectively, from them. Mir Hamza removed Mitchell in the penultimate over, which went for ten more.
Rawalpindiz are now second from the bottom on the points table, with two losses in as many games.
