David Warner’s Karachi Kings stormed to an emphatic 87-run victory over Multan Sultans in the first match of Thursday’s double-header at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The win marked Karachi’s fourth triumph of the tournament, while Multan suffered their seventh loss in eight games.

By PakPassion Staff (May 1st, 2025)

James Vince’s unbeaten half-century, Khushdil Shah’s all-round brilliance, and Mohammad Nabi’s economical three-wicket haul anchored a commanding performance by the Kings.

Chasing a daunting 205-run target, the Sultans crumbled for just 117 in 16.1 overs. Apart from Kamran Ghulam and Yasir Khan, none of the batters could cross the 20-run mark. Mohammad Nabi (3 for 14) and Khushdil Shah (2 for 26) claimed five wickets between them, while Mir Hamza (2 for 15) impressed with the best figures among pacers.

The collapse began early, with Aamir Jamal removing Mohammad Rizwan in the second over. Hamza and Mohammad Abbas Afridi struck shortly after to dismiss Usman Khan and Yasir Khan (26 off 17, 1 four, 3 sixes), reducing Sultans to 34 for 3 in 4.2 overs.

Karachi tightened their grip as Nabi and Khushdil operated in tandem, consistently chipping away at the batting line-up. Kamran Ghulam’s 29 off 25 balls, including two boundaries and a six, offered some resistance, but the lack of support from the other end derailed the chase. The last five wickets added just 32 runs, with Chris Jordan the last man standing on 14* off 9 balls, hitting one four and one six.

Earlier, Karachi Kings breached the 200-run mark for only the fourth time in PSL history — twice in this season alone, both against Multan. Opting to bat, skipper David Warner blazed to a 13-ball 30 (4 fours, 2 sixes), while Tim Seifert’s quickfire 22 off 11 balls (3 fours, 1 six) helped the Kings race to 53 in just 23 deliveries.

Both openers fell in quick succession — Warner to David Willey and Seifert to Ubaid Shah — with Omair Bin Yousuf managing just one run off five balls. Despite the wobble, Kings ended the powerplay at 60 for 3.

James Vince, who top-scored with an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), combined with Irfan Khan (40 off 33, 2 fours, 3 sixes) to rebuild the innings with a 78-run partnership. Irfan’s aggression was on full display as he launched consecutive sixes off Usama Mir in the 11th over.

Curtis Campher finally broke the stand by dismissing Irfan in the 15th over. Vince then partnered with Khushdil Shah to add 66 runs in the final five overs. Khushdil’s explosive unbeaten 33 off just 13 balls, including 3 sixes and 2 fours, propelled Karachi to a formidable 204 for 4.

It was a complete team performance that left Multan outplayed and eliminated from the competition.