PSL 3, Match 2 Review: Karachi Kings register a thumping win; Disappointment for the star-studded Gladiators

Imad Wasim-led Karachi Kings registered a morale-boosting win in Dubai in their campaign opener and won the game by 19 runs. It was a low-scoring encounter, but the Kings displayed a great amount of courage to come out on top. The Quetta Gladiators had some big names on paper but failed to clinch a favourable result.

English T20 veteran Joe Denly and Pakistan’s discarded opener Khurram Manzoor found it really difficult to face the new ball batting first for the Kings. The bowlers were doing the talking and as one would imagine, the scoring rate was pretty low. It seemed like one of those tracks where it’d be a little difficult initially, but as you settle it, you can play your shots.

Both players approached with a similar intent, but just when they were settling in, Joe Denly ran himself out. Babar Azam walked in at number 3 but failed to contribute anything significant. When he was dismissed after scoring 10 runs, the scorecard read 57 at the end of 9.1 overs. The scoring rate was a tad over 6 and they needed some push.

In walked South African Colin Ingram, who had an amazing season in the Big Bash. Manzoor was struggling at the crease and he had no other option but to play some big shots. In the process, he was dismissed and the onus was on Ingram to give his side a decent finish. The Kings would’ve gleefully accepted anything above 135 at that point and Ingram and Bopara rose to the occasion.

Ingram particularly looked in devastating touch and it seemed like he was batting on a flat Wankhede track. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes en route to a stellar 41 off 21 balls. It seemed like they’d go close to 160 but the Quetta bowlers gave away just 17 runs off the last 15 balls.

Eventually, the Kings finished with 149 runs on the board, losing 9 wickets. Ingram top-scored for Karachi, veteran Shane Watson proved he still has a lot to offer. He registered figures of 3/22 in his 4 overs and bowled perfectly in the death overs.

Skipper leading from the front!

Despite the presence of some senior players like Shahid Afridi, Ravi Bopara, and Eoin Morgan, Imad Wasim was chosen to lead the Karachi Kings. And the skipper delivered with the ball in the very first game with a remarkable of a spell. He took the new ball and as we’ve seen so many spinners do in recent times, used the slippery nature of the ball to stem the run flow in the Powerplay.

After giving away just three runs in the first over, Watson was dismissed in a bizarre way. He somehow managed to dig out a yorker and lost sight of where the ball was heading. He nevertheless dared to be out of his crease and attempt for a run and in the meantime, Mohammad Rizwan was smart enough to take the bails off.

Imad chipped in with a crucial wicket in the next over, removing the experienced Asad Shafiq. They also lost Kevin Pietersen in the powerplay, dismissed by a fellow Englishman Tymall Mills. Umar Amin and Rilee Rossouw managed to restrict the flow of wickets with a partnership, but even that failed to last long enough to make a difference.

Quetta’s skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and the well-settled Umar Amin walked back in a space of five balls, which made the result an obvious one to guess. Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Khan added a decent partnership towards the end, but they could manage only 130 runs losing 9 wickets. Incidentally, this is Karachi’s first win over the Gladiators in their PSL history.

Brief Scores

Karachi Kings: 149/9 in 20 overs (Colin Ingram 41; Shane Watson 3/22, Jofra Archer 2/30)

Quetta Gladiators: 130/9 in 20 overs (Umar Amin 31; Imad Wasim 2/19, Tymall Mills 2/27)

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