Kings edge past Qalandars to second spot in rain-affected PSL thriller

LAHORE: Karachi Kings successfully chased down a challenging DLS-adjusted target to defeat Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a high-scoring 24th encounter of PSL 2025 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The victory propelled Karachi to second place in the standings with 10 points, pushing Islamabad to third and Lahore to fourth.

After Karachi Kings won the toss and elected to field, Lahore’s opening pair of Muhammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman put on a blistering display of batting. Naeem, who received a life when dropped on 12, raced to a fifty in just 22 balls. His explosive innings of 65 from 29 deliveries featured 6 boundaries and 5 towering sixes before he finally departed with the score at 90/1 after 7.5 overs.

Rain then halted proceedings, forcing players off the field until 10:10 pm when play resumed with the match reduced to 15 overs per side. Despite the interruption, Fakhar maintained his momentum, crafting a well-constructed 51 off 33 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes.

Abdullah Shafique contributed a useful cameo of 18 from 11 balls before falling at 121/2, which triggered a middle-order collapse. The Qalandars finished with 160/8 in their allotted 15 overs, with the DLS method setting Karachi a revised target of 168 runs.

Abbas Afridi was the standout bowler for Karachi with impressive figures of 4-27, while Mir Hamza bowled economically for his 1-20.

Karachi Kings started their chase with aggressive intent as David Warner (24 off 12 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) and Tim Seifert (24 off 9 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) put on a quickfire 40-run opening partnership before Warner fell in the fourth over.

After Seifert’s dismissal at 57/2, James Vince contributed 13 runs before departing with the score at 74/3. Saad Baig played a crucial innings of 25 from 15 balls (3 fours, 1 six) to keep the momentum going until he was dismissed at 100/4.

The hero of the chase was Irfan Khan Niazi, who remained unbeaten on 48 off just 21 balls, an innings studded with 2 fours and 5 sixes. His gritty performance was well-supported by Khushdil Shah (9) and Mohammad Nabi, who smashed 15 off 7 balls with a four and a six.

Karachi Kings eventually reached the target with 168/6 in 14.3 overs, clinching a four-wicket victory under the DLS method.

For Lahore, Haris Rauf claimed 2-40, while Asif Afridi (1-26), Rishad Hossain (1-28), and Daryl Mitchell (1-9) chipped in with a wicket each.

The victory has significant implications for the PSL standings, with Karachi Kings surging to second place with 10 points. Islamabad United have been pushed to third and Lahore Qalandars to fourth. Lahore still has one match remaining against Peshawar Zalmi on May 9, while Karachi has two games left -- against Peshawar on May 8 and Islamabad on May 19.