The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
So, that will be all from this, the first match of the day in the PSL. You can join us again in an hour's time for the start of the second game between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans by switching tabs. For now, this is the pair of Rudransh and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Shan Masoon (Karachi Kings captain): Coming from a really convincing loss in a way, the boys stepped up and showed a lot of character. Shoaib Malik's first-ball wicket was brilliant, and that helped Mir Hamza and company to hit the seam and get something off the surface. We must have a purpose for what we do, and then, we must have a process. After Multan, we had a discussion and worked on things to get better, that worked. We're really fortunate to have people like Ravi Bopara, Kieron Pollard, James Vince in this team to help us out with leadership. They have done it all around the world and we are direct beneficiaries of them here!
Mir Hamza has been adjudged the Player of the Match! Here is what he has to say.
Mir Hamza: I'm happy, we have won the match and the bowlers bowled really well today! The management has given me the responsibility to take wickets in the power play. I got some help in terms of moisture in the surface, and used it to move it both ways. I played with the mind of the batters and that worked!
It is time for the post-match presentation!
Babar Azam: I think we were short on runs. I and Powell built a partnership after the early wickets. We wanted to play at the end, his wicket fell at the wrong time. Otherwise we would have gone on to 180 and it would have been a different game. Back to back wickets make you feel the wicket is different but the pitch was back to normal after the first two hours. We missed getting the partnerships today. Allah ka shukar hai (It's Allah's blessings) that I could do 10,000 runs in T20s. But I would have been happier had we won the game.
Kieron Pollard: You said I still got it, who said I didn't? (everyone laughs, not Pollard). Important to get the win. A lot of new guys in. We didn't get the balance right in the first game. These things happen. We did it this time. It was just see the ball hit the ball. Then he (Waqar) bowled a couple of good balls where it was about respecting him. It was a 150-run total where all the experience comes in. Well done to the management for keeping everyone calm and confident but this is just one win, it's a long tournament ahead.
Karachi Kings win by 7 wickets with 19 balls to spare!
Kieron Pollard 49* (21) | Mir Hamza - 3/28 (4) Babar Azam 72 (51) | Luke Wood - 2/20 (3.5)
The start of the innings by Karachi was a good one as 20 runs came off the first 2 overs. Then there was the wicket of skipper Shan Masood and three straight overs from Luke Wood that were economical! Muhammad Akhlaq did get stuck into young Mohammad Zeeshan, but unnecessarily tried to whack Wood out of the park, only to head back into the dug-out.
There was a nice, steady 50-run stand for the 3rd wicket between James Vince and Shoaib Malik but there requirement was for an over or two which kind of took the game away from Peshawar. Immediately after the strategic time-out, Malik decided to dance down the track and smash Waqar Salamkheil out of the ground but got done for the googly! He was stumped, leaving the team in a soup with quite a few runs remaining.
The Babar Azam-led side were slowly but surely coming back into the contest, if not surging ahead when Kieron Pollard stepped up and took matters in his own hands! In Salamkheil's final over - the 15th over of the innings - he powered his way to three sixes and a four to seal the fate of the match then and there!
Out of nowhere, the game was solely back in control of the Kings and it took them only a couple more overs to knock the runs down and pick up first points! Peshawar Zalmi though, are still searching their first win after two matches.
16.5 Luke Wood to James Vince, FOUR! Done and dusted! Vince finishes things off with a brilliant cut. First win for the Kings over Zalmi in seven matches! Short and wide outside the off-stump, cuts it down to keep it along the ground and in the gap!
16.4 Luke Wood to Kieron Pollard, one run, short ball on middle and leg, he goes back and swivels it to deep mid-wicket
16.3 Luke Wood to James Vince, one run, full on the pads, clipped to deep mid-wicket
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K Pollard
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
