Karachi Kings captain David Warner on Sunday took a cheeky jibe at Lahore Qalandars’ captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). Karachi Kings defeated Lahore Qalandars by 10 runs in a rain-hit match at Gaddafi Stadium.
Muhammad Irfan Khan’s blistering knock of 48 off 21 balls catapulted Karachi Kings to a much-needed four-wicket triumph over arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in a rain-hit 15-over game. Kings chased the revised target of 167 in 14.3 overs. Earlier, Qalandars’ 160-8 in 15 overs was revised based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method after rain arrived when 7.5 overs were bowled in their innings.
Irfan Khan (48 not out, 21b, 2x4s, 5x6s), who smashed his highest HBL PSL score in his 25th game for the Kings across three seasons, walked in to bat at 74-3 in the seventh over and partnered with Saad Baig (25, 15b, 3x4s, 1×6) to take the team to the 100-run mark in the 10th over.
After Khushdil Shah departed for a seven-ball nine in the 12th over, Mohammad Nabi (15, 18b, 1×4, 1×6) joined Irfan in the middle as the duo blazed their way to gathering 45 runs for the sixth wicket off a mere 17 balls. With the required rate exactly 16 after 12 overs, Irfan launched Shaheen Shah Afridi for three massive sixes, conceding 21 runs in that over.
On the first ball of the next over, Irfan powered Haris Rauf for a six, while Nabi too joined him in the charge with a six and a four to take 20 runs off the over, bringing the equation down to seven needed off six balls. Daryl Mitchell, bowling his second over of the game, removed Nabi on the first ball, conceded a single on the second, and then got hit for a match-sealing six off Irfan.
At the post-match presentation, Warner took aim at Afridi.
“Shaheen said it was going to turn, but not one ball has turned here in three games,” Warner said with a grin. “I was baffled by those comments.”
“I stuck with it [pace attack]. You’ve just got to back yourself. Our bowlers have been fantastic, they’ve been taking wickets, and right now there’s probably no room for an extra spinner,” he said.
Warner also showered praise on Irfan Khan Niazi, who played the match-winning knock.
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“It was an amazing victory. First, I want to talk about the bowlers; they did a great job of restricting them to 160,” Warner said.
“And then, obviously, it was a brilliant effort by Irfan Khan Niazi. We stuck with him and spoke to him about having that hunger and desire, and today, the way he played was the cream on the top.”
With their fifth win in the tournament, the Kings jumped to the third position on the table, drawing level with Islamabad United with 10 points each. Table toppers Quetta Gladiators, with 11 points in eight games, have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
