Azam Khan’s Explosive 74 Powers Karachi Kings to Thrilling PSL Win
By Bilal Haider :
Azam Khan delivered a blistering half-century to guide Karachi Kings to a dramatic five-wicket victory over Rawalpindiz in the HBL Pakistan Super League at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night.
Chasing a challenging target of 198, the Kings reached 199 for five with four balls remaining, maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament. Azam, batting at number four, produced a match-winning 74 from just 34 deliveries, striking six fours and six sixes in a commanding display of power hitting.
His aggressive innings shifted the momentum of the match after Karachi had lost early wickets and were struggling to keep up with the required run rate. Azam attacked both pace and spin with confidence, hitting a series of powerful pulls, sweeps and lofted drives before eventually falling in the 18th over.
Earlier in the chase, Mohammad Waseem and David Warner provided a cautious start before Waseem accelerated, hitting two sixes off Naseem Shah to reach 23 from 11 balls. However, he was dismissed shortly afterwards after chopping a slower delivery onto his stumps.
Salman Ali Agha joined Warner and contributed 29 runs but was dismissed after edging a reverse-lap attempt off Daryl Mitchell to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. Warner anchored the innings with a steady 50 from 36 balls, including six boundaries and a six, but his departure in the 16th over left the match evenly poised.
Azam then took control, bringing up his half-century from just 29 balls with a towering six before continuing his assault to steer Karachi close to victory. Abbas Afridi eventually sealed the win with a towering six off Mitchell early in the final over.
Earlier, Rawalpindiz had posted a competitive 197 for six after choosing to bat first. Daryl Mitchell scored 65 from 41 balls while Sam Billings contributed a fluent 58 from 35 deliveries as the pair shared a 120-run partnership that briefly threatened to take the game away from Karachi.
Karachi’s Hasan Ali led the bowling effort with three wickets for 24 runs, removing Rizwan early before returning late in the innings to dismiss Billings and Cole McConchie. Khushdil Shah claimed two wickets, while Mir Hamza accounted for Mitchell despite conceding runs.
Rawalpindiz made a quick start in the powerplay but lost momentum towards the end of the innings, managing only 23 runs in the final overs after Hasan’s decisive spell.
The result leaves Karachi Kings as the only unbeaten side in the competition, while Rawalpindiz are still searching for their first victory of the season. Azam Khan was named player of the match for his match-winning innings.
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