PSL: Shoaib’s last-ball four, another loss for Lahore

In the 26th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL), Karachi Kings defeated Lahore Qalandars by five wickets.

In the match played in Karachi on Saturday, Qalandars scored 177 runs for five wickets while batting first, which Kings achieved by hitting a four on the last ball.

Qalandar’s first wicket fell for 16 runs when Mirza Baig returned to the pavilion after scoring four runs. On this occasion, Fakhar Zaman along with Abdullah Shafiq took the score to 86 runs in 11 overs.

Fakhar was run out by scoring 54 runs off 35 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes. Shayhope could not support Shafiq much and he was reduced to nine runs in the 15th over.

Zahid Mahmood also dismissed captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the same over. In the last overs, Sikander Raza (22 runs not out) and David Wiese (24 runs not out off nine balls) took an aggressive approach and took the score to 177 runs.

For Karachi, Zahid took two wickets while Blasnik Mozarabani and Anwar Ali took one wicket each.

Karachi Kings started chasing the target cautiously. The two openers shared a 50-run partnership. James Vance was the first batsman out to score 42 runs. They were targeted by Tayyab Abbas.

Karachi took control of the match by scoring 84 runs for the loss of just one wicket in the first 10 overs.

However, Qalandar’s bowlers made a comeback by dismissing captain Sham Masood (24 runs) and Kieran Pollard (three runs) and opener Tim Safet in the 12th, 13th and 15th overs.

Even after three wickets fell, Karachi’s batting line did not come under pressure and Irfan Khan and Shoaib Malik scored 50 runs in just 25 balls.

In these 50 runs partnership, 33 runs were scored by Irfan while 15 runs were scored by Shoaib Malik.

Shaheen got a lot of runs in two overs but he bowled Irfan (35 off 16 balls) in the second last over. In the same over, batsman Anwar Ali’s catch was declared not out by TV Empire, on which Shaheen had a lot of discussion with Empire.

Karachi needed eight runs in the last over and had five wickets to spare.

Zaman Khan took two wickets in the last overs but he was bowled by Shoaib Malik on the last ball. Thus, Karachi won this sensational match by three wickets.

Tayyab of Lahore got two wickets while Shaheen Zaman and Sikandar got one wicket each.

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