In the fourth consecutive match, tight endings and huge victories alternated, continuing Karachi Kings’ see-saw season in the PSL.
Only days after losing to the same club by three runs, they added the most recent victory to the list on Sunday when they thrashed Multan Sultans by 66 runs.
In their matchup with the top-ranked Sultans, Kings made three changes. Tayyab Tahir, who replaced Haider Ali, struck a brilliant half-century on his PSL debut to lead Kings to 167.
Imran Tahir was replaced by Tabraiz Shamsi in the side, and he quickly picked up three important middle-order wickets to assist the Sultans be bowled for just 101 runs.
James Vince, representing Kings, got off to a fast start when he was put to bat. He faced Akeal Hosein and Anwar Ali, who had both been added to the Sultans’ XI, from the first over onward. He quickly reached 27 from 11 deliveries before skying a catch off Anwar in the fourth over to mid-on.
By flicking the first delivery he faced for a boundary through midwicket, Tayyab made sure the wicket did not stop their progress. By scoring fast and relieving pressure off the Aussie, who labored to reach 46 from 47 balls, he dominated a 109-run partnership with Matthew Wade.
Tayyab smashed eight fours as he reached his half-century off 33 deliveries, attacking the leg side and off side with equal ease. He hit Abbas Afridi for his only six in the next over after reaching fifty in the 14th, but after that he slowed down as the Sultans bowled 31 deliveries without giving up a boundary.
By the time Ihsanullah successfully trapped Tayyab lbw in the 17th over, the runs for Kings had all but dried up. Wade was also caught by Ihsanullah in the final over of the innings, but Imad’s crucial strike of 14 from 6 balls gave Kings a solid finish.
Shan Masood got off to a fast start for the Sultans’ chase, scoring 25 runs off just 16 deliveries, but his innings was cut short by an inside edge from Akif Javed to the wicketkeeper Wade.
Mohammad Rizwan, Masood’s opening partner who had struck a brilliant century in the previous match between the two sides, persisted despite Shoaib Malik and Shamsi eliminating David Miller and Rilee Rossouw, respectively.
Soon after, in the 11th over, Tayyab continued his outstanding performance by taking a stunning diving catch off Rizwan’s leading edge at point, giving Malik his second wicket.
Then, in each of his next two overs, Shamsi delivered, dismissing Khushdil Shah and forcing Usama Mir to hole out at long-off to end with 3 for 18, earning him Player of the Match honours.
After Imad removed Carlos Brathwaite and Hosein in the 15th over, Akif Raja took his second wicket when Anwar Ali cut a catch to deep point, giving the impression that the Sultans’ innings was coming to an abrupt end.
After that, Shoaib Malik bowled Afridi for a duck to complete the victory for Kings, who, despite earning two points, were only able to move up to third place in the standings behind Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, who were both tied for first place with four points each.