James Vince’s blistering ton powers Karachi to record-breaking win over Multan Sultans

James Vince and Khushdil Shah's explosive batting performances propelled the Karachi Kings to chase a daunting target set by the Multan Sultans in the third match of PSL X at the National Bank Stadium Karachi on Saturday, reported 24News HD TV channel. 

In a high-octane clash, Karachi Kings defeated the guests by four wickets thanks to James Vince and Khushdil Shah, who made blistering 101 off 43  balls and 60 in 37 balls respectively, and played significant roles in chasing the massive total of 235 runs.   

Karachi Kings successfully achieved the third-highest chase in PSL history, setting the tone for a promising season ahead.

The match, filled with electrifying moments, saw Karachi outshine Multan with sheer determination and clinical execution.

The star of the night was England’s James Vince, who delivered a match-winning century, scoring 101 runs off just 43 balls. His innings, laced with aggressive strokes and composed play under pressure, proved to be the backbone of Karachi’s massive chase.

Complementing Vince at the other end was Khushdil Shah, who played a vital supporting role with a rapid 60 off 37 deliveries, ensuring that the Kings maintained their momentum throughout the innings.

Multan Sultans, despite putting up a formidable total, struggled to contain the Karachi batters in the second half of the game.

Their bowlers failed to find breakthroughs at crucial moments, allowing the Kings to seize control.

With this four-wicket triumph, Karachi Kings not only opened their PSL 10 campaign on a winning note but also sent a strong message to other contenders in the tournament.

 
Earlier, put into bat first, the Sultans registered 234/3 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to Pakistan's ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s masterful knock.

The openers got off to a decent start to their innings and made a brisk 55 runs in five overs.

Rizwan was the core aggressor of the opening stand, while Shai Hope (eight) focused on strike rotation until falling victim to Hasan Ali on the first delivery of the sixth over.

The skipper then shared a brief 27-run partnership for the second wicket with Usman Khan, who could score 19 off 15 deliveries.

Rizwan was then joined by Kamran Ghulam, and together they strengthened Sultans’ command by putting together 63 runs amid their third-wicket partnership, which spanned six overs.

Ghulam fell victim to Abbas Afridi in the 15th over after scoring a swift 36 off 19 deliveries, laced with five fours and a six.

The skipper then found adequate support from the other end in the form of Michael Bracewell and the duo further bolstered Sultans’ total by putting together an unbeaten 89-run partnership in just 32 deliveries.

Rizwan remained the top-scorer with an unbeaten 105 off 63 deliveries, studded with nine fours and five sixes, while Bracewell made 44 not out from 17 deliveries, hitting five fours and three sixes.

For Kings, only Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi and Khushdil Shah could pick up a wicket apiece.

Teams

 
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (wk & c), Shai Hope, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Michael Bracewell, Shahid Aziz, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Usama Mir, Akif Javed
 
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), James Vince, Shan Masood, Tim Seifert (wk), Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Adam Milne, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Fawad Ali, Abbas Afridi