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LAHORE: Azam Khan produced a blistering half-century that lit up the Gaddafi Stadium as Karachi Kings chased down 198 with five wickets and four balls to spare against Rawalpindiz on Thursday night in the HBL Pakistan Super League match here at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Coming in at number four with the Kings needing momentum after early losses, the swashbuckling wicket-keeper-batter unleashed an explosive 74 off just 34 balls, studded with six fours and six sixes. His aggressive strokeplay, particularly against the spinners and pace, turned a challenging chase into a comfortable victory, extending Karachi’s unbeaten run in the tournament.
Azam’s innings, laced with powerful pulls, sweeps and lofted drives, culminated in a memorable display of clean hitting before he fell n the 18th over.
Prior to Azam’s arrival, the Kings had made a promising but stuttering start. Openers Mohammad Waseem and David Warner began cautiously against Mohammad Amir, with Waseem striking two early fours.
Waseem then exploded, hammering Naseem Shah for a six and another maximum in the third over, racing to 23 off 11 before chopping on to a cutter.
Salman Ali Agha joined Warner and showed intent with a six off Mohammad Amir Khan, but struggled against the swing and bounce, eventually falling for 29 when he nicked a reverse-lap attempt off Daryl Mitchell to Rawalpindiz captain and wicket-keeper Rizwan.
Warner anchored the innings with a measured 50 off 36 balls (six fours and a six), but the required run-rate hovered around 11 as the middle overs progressed. At 146 for three in the 16th over after Warner’s dismissal to Mitchell, the game remained in the balance. It was Azam’s pyrotechnics that shifted the momentum decisively.
Earlier, Rawalpindiz posted a competitive 197 for six after opting to bat first, thanks largely to aggressive middle-order contributions, though their innings lost steam in the death overs.
Hasan Ali starred with the ball for Karachi, claiming three wickets for 24 runs in his four overs. His disciplined spell, mixing short-pitched deliveries with clever variations, disrupted the Pindiz top order and later cleaned up the tail.
The right-arm pacer removed Rizwan early for 21, gloving a pull to Azam behind the stumps in the third over. He returned in the death to castled Sam Billings for a fluent 58 off 35 (eight fours and a six) with a skidding hard-length ball, and then bowled Cole McConchie to leave the visitors reeling at 192 for six.
Khushdil Shah provided excellent support with two wickets for 37, including the key scalps of Yasir Khan and Kamran Ghulam. Mir Hamza, despite going for 49, picked up Mitchell for 65 off 41 balls (five fours, three sixes), while Adam Zampa and Abbas Afridi contained the scoring in patches without taking wickets.
Rawalpindiz had made a flying start, racing to 55 for two in the powerplay. Rizwan and Yasir attacked Moeen Ali’s opening over for 13 runs, but Hasan’s introduction brought the first breakthrough. A brief collapse saw them slip to 55 for three, before Mitchell and Billings forged a 120-run partnership that threatened to take the game away.
Billings, in particular, entertained with cheeky reverse sweeps and powerful hits, reaching his fifty in style. However, Hasan’s 18th over proved pivotal, removing Billings and applying brakes that restricted the final overs to just 23 runs.
The chase began under lights with Waseem and Warner taking on Amir. Waseem’s aggressive approach yielded quick boundaries, but Naseem’s variations accounted for him. Warner and Agha steadied the ship, yet Mitchell’s military-medium pace proved effective, claiming two wickets including the skipper.
Azam then took centre stage. His fifty came off just 29 balls in the 16th over with a massive six off McConchie, followed by another maximum to keep the scoreboard ticking. Even after his departure, Khushdil remained not out on five, while Abbas sealed the win in dramatic fashion with a towering six off Mitchell on the second ball of the final over.
The win keeps Karachi Kings as the only unbeaten side in the competition, while Rawalpindiz continue their search for a maiden PSL win.
SCOREBOARD
RAWALPINDIZ:
Mohammad Rizwan c Azam b Hasan 21
Yasir Khan b Khushdil 8
Kamran Ghulam b Khushdil 10
Daryl Mitchell c Waseem b Hamza 65
Sam Billings b Hasan 58
Abdullah Fazal not out 18
Cole McConchie b Hasan 2
Rishad Hossain not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, NB-1, W-5) 15
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 197
DID NOT BAT: Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Amir Khan
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Rizwan), 2-33 (Yasir), 3-55 (Kamran), 4-175 (Billings), 5-181 (Mitchell), 6-192 (McConchie)
BOWLING: Moeen 1-0-13-0, Hamza 4-0-49-1 (1nb), Hasan 4-0-24-3, Khushdil 4-0-37-2 (2w), Zampa 4-0-28-0 (1w), Abbas 3-0-37-0
KARACHI KINGS:
Mohammad Waseem b Naseem 23
David Warner c Rishad b Mitchell 50
Salman Ali Agha c Rizwan b Mitchell 29
Azam Khan c Rishad b Amir 74
Khushdil Shah not out 5
Moeen Ali lbw b Mitchell 5
Abbas Afridi not out 6
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-2, W-4) 7
TOTAL (for five wickets, 19.2 overs) 199
DID NOT BAT: Saad Baig, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-27 (Waseem), 2-70 (Salman), 3-146 (Warner), 4-188 (Azam), 5-193 (Ali)
BOWLING: Amir 4-0-38-1, McConchie 1.4-0-20-0, Naseem 2.2-0-26-1 (2nb), Amir Khan 4-0-44-0, Mitchell 3.2-0-32-3 (1w), Rishad 4-0-38-0 (3w)
RESULT: Karachi Kings won by five wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Azam Khan
Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026
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