KARACHI: The National Bank Stadium wore a nearly empty look on Saturday night, hardly befitting the venue’s first match of the HBL Pakistan Super League’s landmark tenth edition. For Karachi Kings, the occasion looked even more dismal after they were set a daunting target of 235 by a ruthless Multan Sultans batting display.
Yet, against all odds and expectations, Karachi turned the night around with sheer batting firepower.
James Vince produced a blistering century, supported by Khushdil Shah’s powerful strokeplay, as the duo stitched together a game-changing partnership that steered the Kings to a remarkable four-wicket victory with four balls to spare.
By the end of the chase, it finally felt like the PSL had arrived in Karachi — the once-thin crowd had swelled, buzzing with energy, responding in kind to the home side’s dramatic turnaround.
Chasing 235, Karachi launched an aggressive start. Tim Seifert and skipper David Warner rocketed to 43-0 in just three overs. Seifert set the tone with a fiery 32 off 16 balls, launching three sixes off David Willey. Warner’s quick cameo ended at 12, dismissed lbw by Michael Bracewell, and Seifert followed shortly after, caught off Akif Javed. Shan Masood’s golden duck deepened Karachi’s trouble at 60-3.
Vince and youngster Arafat Minhas attempted to steady the innings, but Arafat’s knock was cut short by Usama Mir in the seventh over. From there, Vince and Khushdil turned on the heat with a spectacular 142-run stand.
Vince’s majestic 101 off 43 balls — decorated with 14 fours and four sixes — included a century-clinching square drive in the 18th over. Khushdil added 60 off 37 balls, launching four sixes and five boundaries, including a brutal over against Chris Jordan that featured three maximums.
Just when the match seemed in the bag, Vince was run out in the 18th over by a direct hit from Jordan, followed by Khushdil dragging one onto his stumps in the 19th, leaving Karachi needing 14 from the final 12 balls.
Calm under pressure, Abbas Afridi smashed a six off Jordan in the last over to complete the thrilling chase, finishing unbeaten alongside Irfan Khan.
Earlier, Multan Sultans had posted an imposing 234-3 after being asked to bat. Mohammad Rizwan led from the front with a classy unbeaten 105 off 63 deliveries, laced with nine fours and five sixes. He was ably supported by Michael Bracewell, whose explosive 44 off 16 turned the screws in the final overs.
Multan raced to 55 without loss in just five overs, with Rizwan timing the ball sweetly. Shai Hope’s cautious eight ended in the sixth over, but Usman Khan and Kamran Ghulam added quick runs before Bracewell arrived and took full advantage of Karachi’s erratic bowling.
Rizwan reached his hundred in the penultimate over, while Bracewell’s brutal hitting — including back-to-back sixes in the final over — powered Multan past 230. Karachi’s bowlers, barring Khushdil (1-33), struggled. Hasan Ali and Abbas Afridi took a wicket each but bled runs, while Milne conceded 60 in his spell.
Despite the bowling collapse and fielding errors — including 10 wides — Karachi’s batters ensured the night ended with a roar. A flat start turned into a fiery finish — the Kings had arrived, and so had the PSL.
