Hello and welcome to another live blog as Karachi Kings take on Quetta Gladiators in a PSL 2025 clash. The match begins at 8:30 PM IST. Stay tuned for live updates.
Hello and welcome to another live blog as Karachi Kings take on Quetta Gladiators in a PSL 2025 clash. The match begins at 8:30 PM IST. Stay tuned for live updates.
The toss is coming up very soon, at 8pm India time. The Pakistan Super League match can be watched live on TV on the Sony Sports Network in India, and digitally on the FanCode app and website.
Karachi Kings have won the toss and elected to bat first.
Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (c), Finn Allen, Hassan Nawaz, Kusal Mendis (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Khawaja Nafay, Faheem Ashraf, Sean Abbott, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Majid
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Tim Seifert (wk), James Vince, Muhammad Riazullah, Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hassan Ali, Mir Hamza
Mohammad Aamir gets things underway with the ball for the Gladiators. Up against him are Kings' dangerous openers David Warner and Tim Seifert. It is Seifert who takes strike first and flicks away the third delivery for a boundary, and then uses his wrists again to loft the sixth ball over midwicket to make his intention apparent.
KK: 10/0 (1 over)
David Warner and Tim Seifert are making the Gladiators pay for any and every error. They are using the powerplay restrictions to send the ball to all parts of the ground, without really taking undue risks. The fifty partnership comes up in the fifth over, but Warner falls soon after. Abrar Ahmed has him caught at short fine leg for a 20-ball 31. Still a very good start for the Kings.
KK: 60/1 (5.4)
The Gladiators' spinners have done a superb job to swing the momentum their way despite a marauding start from Warner and Seifert. After Abrar sent back Warner, Gladiators' skipper Saud Shakeel sees the back of Seifert and Ali Majid dismisses Muhammad Riazullah. The run rate has fallen from over 10 to just about eight an over, and the pitch appears to be aiding the tweakers too now.
KK: 90/3 (11 overs)
James Vince is holding fort for the Kings, even as their middle-order has been jolted. Khushdil Shah (1) and Irfan Khan (17) both fall in the middle overs and the Gladiators are now looking to limit the hosts to a total below 160. Meanwhile, the experienced Mohammad Nabi has joined Vince at the crease.
KK: 128/5 (16 overs)
Nabi smacks Amir for back-to-back sixes in the final over of the innings, threatening to take the Kings total beyond 180. But a fantastic jump out, jump in catch at the long-on boundary by Finn Allen sees his downfall. Vince too falls off the last ball of the innings, but not before hitting a pivotal 47-ball 70 and taking the hosts to a competitive 175-run total.
KK: 175/7 (20 overs)
It's been a dream start for the Kings with the ball. After Finn Allen's spectacular catch to dismiss Mohammad Nabi late in the Karachi innings, Nabi returns the favour by catching Allen in the same position off Mir Hamza. Khushdil Shah then pulls off a blinder to send back Hasan Nawaz after Hasan Ali had drawn the edge. Gladiators lose two wickets off the first seven balls, pursuing a 176-run target.
QG: 23/2 (2 overs)
It's all coming apart for Quetta. Their top-order has entirely malfunctioned and after a few big hits early doors, the Gladiators suddenly find half their side dismisses inside the powerplay. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nabi have both struck twice for Karachi, while for the tourists, their captain Saud Shakeel is the lone man standing.
QG: 43/5 (7 overs)
The wickets continue to tumble around Saud Shaqeel. Abbas Afridi accounts for Faheem Ashraf (3) and Sean Abbott (3) cheaply to leave the Gladiators on the verge of a crushing defeat. Only the margin remains to be ascertained now, as the Kings look for a huge boost to their net run rate.
QG: 64/7 (13.2 overs)
It's all over. The Gladiators somehow manage to bat out their quota of 20 overs, but it was purely academic by the end of it. Some lusty blows from Mohammad Amir (30 off 16) reduced the margin of defeat, but 56 runs is still as resounding as it gets. The Kings jump to third in the standings with the big win, displacing the Gladiators, who are now fourth.
QG: 119/9 (20 overs) lose to KK (175/7) by 56 runs