Moeen Ali’s late blitz helped Karachi Kings post a 182-run target against Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11’s second match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Put into bat first, the Kings racked up 181/7 in their 20 overs despite none of their batters scoring a half-century.
The 2020 champions got off to a shaky start to their innings as their right-handed opener Muhammad Waseem perished for a three-ball duck as he fell victim to Alzarri Joseph in the first over, with just three runs on the board.
Following the early setback, Salman Ali Agha joined skipper David Warner in the middle for a 41-run partnership for the second wicket until getting trapped lbw by Daniyal in the fourth over.
The Pakistan captain made 22 off 10 deliveries, hitting four fours and a six.
Warner was then involved in another crucial partnership for the Kings when he put together 43 runs for the third wicket with Saad Baig before both perished in quick succession and brought the total down to 100/4 in 10.3 overs.
The skipper made an anchoring 35 off 22 deliveries, laced with four fours and a six, while Saad contributed with a 23-ball 30, featuring six fours.
Karachi Kings then suffered another setback in the 14th over when Azam Khan was cleaned up by Usman Tariq and walked back after making a run-a-ball 14.
After a brief middle-order collapse, experienced all-rounder Moeen Ali took the reins of the Kings’ batting expedition and stitched an important 39-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Khushdil Shah, who made an eight-ball 12 before being dismissed by Daniyal in the 17th over.
Moeen, on the other hand, batted until the end and returned after top-scoring with an unbeaten 48 off 29 deliveries, studded with four fours and three sixes.
Daniyal spearheaded the Gladiators’ bowling charge with three wickets for 36 runs in his four overs, followed by Alzarri Joseph with two, while Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed made one scalp apiece.