GDN Online
KARACHI: Babar Azam led the way with a supreme 63 not out from 49 balls as Karachi Kings won their maiden Pakistan Super League title after beating fellow first-time finalists Lahore Qalandars by five wickets.
Babar took his tally of runs for the season to 473 – a record for a single edition of the PSL, beating the 435 Luke Ronchi managed for Islamabad United in 2018 – as Karachi chased down their target of 135 in 18.4 overs.
Babar’s fifth fifty of the campaign, which came from 40 balls, was sealed during a third-wicket stand of 61 with Chadwick Walton (22) after Alex Hales was dismissed for 11.
Karachi encountered a wobble with 11 runs required when Haris Rauf dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed and Sherfane Rutherford from successive deliveries in the 18th over – but captain Imad Wasim (9no) eased the pressure with a boundary and then sealed victory with another four.
Babar was the star man, though, striking seven fours in a typically classy knock in his sixth fifty-plus score in a row for club and country.
Qalandars made a bright start after electing to bat in the final, reaching 68-0 after 10 overs through Tamim Iqbal (35) and Fakhar Zaman (27), only to then lose three wickets for two runs in seven balls.
Lahore were looking to complete the ultimate turnaround having finished bottom of the PSL in each of the first four editions but had to settle for second place as Karachi became the fourth different side to win the trophy.
Kings have followed in the footsteps of Islamabad (2016 and 2018), Peshawar Zalmi (2017) and Quetta Gladiators (2019) by winning the title.
