Khushdil Shah’s explosive finish powers Karachi Kings to 5-wicket win

LAHORE: Karachi Kings secured a thrilling 5-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in the 35th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, thanks to a blistering unbeaten innings by Khushdil Shah.

At Gaddafi Stadium, Karachi Kings won the toss and opted to field first. Lahore Qalandars posted a strong total of 199/6 in 20 overs, with Abdullah Shafique scoring 62 and Fakhar Zaman adding 61 runs.

For Karachi Kings, Moeen Ali took two wickets, while Hassan Ali and Rizwanullah picked up one wicket each.

In response, Karachi Kings chased down the target in 18.4 overs, losing five wickets along the way. Early contributions came from Jason Roy (9), Raza Hendricks (10), and Salman Ali Agha (14), while Moeen Ali scored 39 off 17 balls and Azam Khan made 14.

The turning point came in the final overs when Khushdil Shah launched a fierce counterattack, smashing 23 runs in Shaheen Afridi’s over and 14 runs off just four deliveries against Haris Rauf in the next over. He remained unbeaten on 44 runs off just 14 balls, hitting 5 sixes and 2 fours, guiding his team to victory with eight balls to spare.

Captain David Warner also remained unbeaten with a solid 63-run innings.

With this win, Karachi Kings have strengthened their position in the PSL playoff race alongside Lahore and Hyderabad.