Karachi Kings crush Quetta Gladiators by 56 runs

Karachi Kings registered a commanding 56-run win over Quetta Gladiators in their latest Pakistan Super League (PSL) showdown, defending a solid total of 175 with clinical precision at the National Stadium.

Batting first, Karachi Kings piled up 175 runs, thanks to a fluent 70-run knock from James Vince off just 46 balls. He was well-supported by David Warner (31 off 20) and Tim Seifert (27 off 15), while Irfan Khan Niazi and Mohammad Nabi chipped in with quick cameos of 17 and 18 runs, respectively. Despite a mini-collapse in the lower order, the Kings managed a defendable total.

Quetta’s bowlers had some moments of brilliance too — Ali Majid took 2 for 29, Amir 2-42 and Abrar Ahmed, Sean Abbott and Saud picked up a wicket each — but it wasn’t enough to stop Karachi’s charge.

In reply, Quetta Gladiators crumbled under pressure, folding for 119 runs, falling 56 runs short of the target. Saud Shakeel offered resistance with a gritty unbeaten 33 off 40 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to click.

Captain Rilee Rossouw, touted to anchor the innings, managed just 1 off 7 balls, while explosive batters like Finn Allen (6), Hassan Nawaz (1), and Kusal Mendis (12) failed to provide any spark. Surprisingly, Mohammad Amir, known for his bowling, emerged as the second-highest scorer for Quetta with a quick 30 off 17 balls in a lone act of defiance.

Karachi’s bowlers were right on the money, led by a fiery spell from Hassan Ali, who bagged 3 for 27 in his 4 overs. Mohammad Nabi and Abbas Afridi turned the screws with miserly spells of 2 wickets each for just 7 and runs, respectively. Mir Hamza and Amir Jamal also chipped in with one wicket each.