12 hours Ago By Azhar Khan
LAHORE - A stellar all-round display led by veteran pacer Hasan Ali propelled Karachi Kings to a commanding 56-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in the eighth match of the PSL X at the National Bank Stadium on Friday. Chasing a competitive target of 176, Quetta stumbled early and never recovered, finishing at 119-9 in their 20 overs. The collapse began in the opening over when Mir Hamza sent Finn Allen packing for just 6.
The Kings’ bowlers kept the pressure on relentlessly. Hasan Ali , continuing his remarkable PSL legacy, removed Hassan Nawaz in the next over to become the leading wicket-taker in PSL history with 114 wickets. He wasn’t done yet.
Quetta tried to regroup through Kusal Mendis and Saud Shakeel, but Mendis perished for 12, and wickets kept tumbling. Hasan bagged Khawaja Nafay cheaply, while Mohammad Nabi bowled a tight maiden and then dismissed Rilee Rossouw, leaving the Gladiators reeling at 37-5 by the end of the powerplay. The slide continued with Abbas Afridi removing Faheem Ashraf and Sean Abbott, leaving the score at a dire 57-7 in the 12th over.
A late 43-run partnership between Mohammad Amir (30 off 16) and Saud Shakeel (33 off 37)* briefly lifted hopes, but Aamer Jamal removed Amir before Hasan returned to claim his third wicket, dismissing Abrar Ahmed and putting the final nail in the coffin. Quetta closed their innings at 119-9, with Shakeel unbeaten. Hasan Ali finished with 3 for 30, while Mohammad Nabi and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets each in a clinical bowling performance.
Earlier, David Warner won the toss and elected to bat. He and Tim Seifert provided a brisk start, adding 50 runs in the powerplay. Warner scored a fluent 31 off 20, before falling to Abrar Ahmed.
Seifert followed soon after for 27 off 15, dismissed by Saud Shakeel. The Kings then stumbled slightly, losing Muhammad Riazullah and Khushdil Shah to Ali Majid, who impressed in his debut outing. But James Vince anchored the innings superbly, scoring a stylish 70 off 47 balls, including six fours and a six.
He shared a handy 34-run stand with Irfan Khan and later found support from Mohammad Nabi, who chipped in with 18 runs. In the final over, Mohammad Amir struck twice to remove both Nabi and Vince, restricting the Kings to 175-7, a total that proved more than sufficient. For the Gladiators, Ali Majid and Mohammad Amir claimed two wickets apiece, but their efforts were overshadowed by the team’s poor batting performance.
.
