Karachi Kings edged Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a tense, low-scoring Pakistan Super League clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, as Bangladesh duo Parvez Hossain Emon and Mustafizur Rahman, both representing Lahore, produced mixed returns.
Defending champions Lahore were restricted to 128 for nine after opting to bat, and although their bowlers mounted a spirited defence, Karachi chased down the target with three balls to spare.
Emon, batting at number four, once again struggled to get going and could only manage a run-a-ball 12. The left-hander looked composed during his brief stay, adding 28 runs for the third wicket with Abdullah Shafique but failed to convert his start -- falling lbw to Salman Agha -- as Lahore slipped from a steady position into trouble at 62 for four in 8.2 overs. In a match where partnerships were hard to come by on a tricky surface, Emon’s inability to push on denied Lahore crucial momentum in the middle overs. He scored 14 off 13 balls in his previous game.
Mustafizur, however, made another strong impression with the ball.
The left-arm pacer delivered a disciplined four-over spell, conceding just 20 runs and picking up one wicket. Introduced in the eighth over, Mustafizur struck immediately, giving away just one run and removing Saad Baig – nicking him off. He maintained control through his subsequent spells as well, conceding only five runs in both his second and third overs to keep Karachi’s chase in check.
At one stage, Karachi were reeling at 88 for five in the 15th over after Muhammad Waseem had managed a 37-ball 38 -- the innings highest for Karachi -- with Mustafizur and the rest of the bowling unit tightening the screws effectively.
However, the match turned on a controversial moment in the final over.
With Karachi needing 14 runs off the last six balls, the on-field umpires halted play to inspect the ball and ruled that its condition had been altered. The decision resulted in a five-run penalty against Lahore – Mustafizur’s side – reducing the target to nine off the final over and significantly easing the pressure on the chasing team.
The shift proved decisive. Although Haris Rauf struck with the first ball of the final over, Abbas Afridi smashed a four and a six in quick succession to seal victory for Karachi, handing Lahore their first defeat of the campaign.
Earlier, Lahore’s total had hinged on Abdullah Shafique’s 33, while none of the other batters, including Emon, managed to make a substantial contribution. Despite a collective bowling effort led by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s four for 18 and Mustafizur’s economical spell, the total ultimately proved insufficient.
