RAWALPINDI: In a crucial encounter in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, the Karachi Kings successfully chased down a modest total of 118 against the Quetta Gladiators, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs.
The experienced Kiwi batter, Tim Seifert, played a pivotal role in the Kings’ victory, scoring 49 off 31 deliveries with six 4s and two 6s. Contributions from England’s James Vince and Pakistan veteran Shoaib Malik, who scored 27 each, further bolstered the Kings’ batting performance.
Despite Kings’ captain Shan Masood being dismissed early with just 7 runs, bowler Hasan Ali played a crucial role in setting up the platform for the team. Hasan Ali took four wickets for 15 runs in his four-over spell, utilizing varied lines and lengths to outfox the Gladiators’ batters.
Apart from Hasan’s stellar performance, Mir Hamza picked up one wicket, while Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and Zahid Mahmood took two wickets each. Muzarabani, Irfan Khan, and substitute Anwar Ali also contributed to a runout, dismissing former Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed.
In the first innings, Gladiators had a promising start with English opening batter Jason Roy hitting three boundaries. However, Hasan Ali’s impactful bowling, including the dismissal of Saud Shakeel and Khawaja Nafay in the same over, led to a mini-collapse for the Gladiators. Ultimately, they lost nine wickets for 51 runs, with Hasan Ali being awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding figures of 4/15.
