Vince, Hasan lead Karachi Kings to dominant win over Quetta Gladiators

KARACHI: Karachi Kings delivered a commanding all-round performance in the third Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 match at the National Bank Stadium, defeating Quetta Gladiators by 56 runs on Friday night.

For a side boasting batters like Finn Allen, Kusal Mendis, and Rilee Rossouw, the Gladiators showed a little fight in their pursuit of a 176-run target on a slow surface, losing their second match of the season out of three. For the David Warner-led Kings, James Vince, the man of the match, shone with the bat, scoring 70, while Hasan Ali delivered with the ball, picking up three for 27.

Thanks to skipper Saud Shakeel’s 33 and Mohammad Amir’s 30, the Gladiators managed to cross the 100-run mark — a milestone that looked unlikely at one stage when they had been reduced to 37-5.

While defending, the Kings’ pacers set the tone early. Mir Hamza dismissed Allen for six with a slower one, and Hasan Ali struck in the next over, removing Hasan Nawaz, with Khushdil Shah taking a blinder at first slip to leave the Gladiators at 9-2.

It was then Mohammad Nabi’s turn to take control. Bowling wicket-to-wicket with slow, gripping deliveries, he not only claimed two wickets but also conceded just seven runs in four overs. His scalps included the key batters Mendis (12) and Rossouw (1).

By the end of the powerplay, the Saud-led side had already collapsed to 37-5. Ten runs later, Faheem Ashraf walked back after failing to connect with Abbas Afridi’s bouncer, and the pacer struck again soon after, removing Sean Abbott for just three to leave the opposition reeling at 57-7. Saud and Amir then stitched a 43-run stand before the latter was removed by Aamer Jamal. Saud remained unbeaten as the Gladiators finished on 119 for nine in 20 overs.

For the Kings, Hasan took three wickets, while Abbas and Nabi claimed two each. Hamza and Jamal picked up one apiece. Batting first after winning the toss, the Kings posted 175 for losing seven wickets in 20 overs.

James Vince, who struck a swashbuckling 101 in Kings first of the season against Multan Sultans, yet again stood up for his team scoring 70 off 47 balls.

The Kings’ opening pair of Tim Seifert and skipper David Warner laid a solid foundation, putting together a 60-run stand in 5.4 overs, utilising the power play to good effect. However, the Gladiators strolled back into the game through their spinners, dismissing four batters under 31 runs.

David Warner, who looked in good rhythm with the ball, was shown the door by Abrar Ahmed for 31 off 20 balls.

In the seventh over, Saud Shakeel dismissed Tim Seifert for 27, while Ali Majid picked scalps of Muhammad Riazullah and Khushdil Shah to leave the home team at 91-4 in 11.2 overs.

Although the Kings were managing to put runs on the board, they struggled to maintain their wickets.

However, Vince continued his stellar form, churning out for his team when they needed it the most. He stitched a 34-run partnership with Irfan Khan, providing stability and helping the Kings push towards a defendable total.

However, the Kings suffered another setback when Irfan Khan, who had scored 17, was dismissed by Sean Abbott, who picked up his maiden PSL wicket, leaving the score at 125-5 in 15.1 overs. Vince’s 70 runs were laced with six fours and one six. With Afghanistan’s Nabi, he registered a 49-run sixth wicket stand. Nabi scored 18 off 12 balls with a couple of sixes. In the final over, Amir made a late impact, removing both, as the Kings finished their innings at 175-7.

In the match, Mohammad Amir and Ali Majid each took two wickets, while Sean Abbott, Abrar Ahmed, and Saud Shakeel each took one wicket.