The quetta gladiators have been ruled out of the game despite defeating the Karachi Kings in five wickets in their HPL Pakistan Super League 2020 win at the National Stadium on Sunday.
The Gladiators’ semi-final chances almost ended after the victory of the huge wallet by the Lultan Sultans in Lahore earlier in the day.
The Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi finished with nine points each but the last one advanced to the semi-finals thanks to leading scorers. The Gladiators need to chase the 151-run target, which was set for the Kings, with just 3.2 more to reach the stage and surpass Zalmi with a net run rate that was almost impossible.
In the finals on Tuesday (tomorrow), at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, the Multan Sultans will face Peshawar Zalmi at 2pm and the Karachi Kings will clash with Lahore Qalanadars at 7pm.
The last one will be on Wednesday at 7pm. Empowered by the top hits of Khurram Manzoor (63) and Shane Watson (66), the Gladiators rushed to a target of 151 runs in 16.2 overs after missing five wickets.
Earlier, Cameron Delport hit 62 completed 44 balls for the Chiefs to post a 150-5. The Gladiators had a bad start when left-handed Waqas Maqsood snatched Ahmed Shehzad (0) from second innings as he edged right-hander Mohammed Rizwan.
However, Khurram Manzoor and Watson removed the game for the Kings with a combined 118 runs in the second wicket. Khurram, who was ousted by Waqas, recorded nine holes and four sixes in his sweet 40-ball. Khurram, who played his first match of the season, beat Ali Khan four times in one.
Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed’s unfortunate situation continued as he collapsed when he surrendered in pairs while offering a standard pledge to shut down the hot Walton for Ali Khan. Gladiators were 121 to 13. Arshad Iqbal then eliminated Watson and Ben Cutting (0) in two consecutive innings to reduce the Gladiators to 139-5. Watson racked up four thumbs up and 40 of his 40-point football this season.
However, Azam Khan (12 *) and Mohammad Nawaz (8 *) have ignored all other matches. Waqas (2-19) and Arshad (2-37) were bowls for the dishes.
After deciding to make the bat, the Karachi Kings had a bad start while Sharjeel Khan (0) failed to deliver. He was bowled over by young fast bowling sensation Naseem Shah off the second ball of the innings. The ball was hung from the trunk, Sharjeel went to look sideways, but he was hit and the ball fell to the top of the stump.
Iftikhar then joined Babar Azam but also failed to play big innings. Sohail Khan was replaced by Watson, after Peshawar’s right-hander hit the 17th ball on 21 threes.
Cameron Delport and Babar re-enacted the wings with a three-wicket run in the title before Australian leggie Fawad Ahmed made Babar caught by Mohammad Nawaz in the middle of the year. The boat cut off for Pakistan’s skipper went to a large area but failed to set the time properly. Babar hit a 34-ball 32, striking out three.
Chadwick Walton and South Africa Delport added 73 in the fourth wicker to take part in the fight.
Naseem replaced Walton in the last ball of the 19th with a 20 ball. He drove in a straight car but was unable to hit a great shot by Mohammad Hasnain. Walton hit one and six and four.
Hasnain at the time was with Delport after a left-handed backup thumbs up with five and four. Naseem scored 2-17 in four overs. Shahail Khan, leggie Fawad Ahmed and Hasnain got one wicker each.
The Kings rested their squad Imad Wasim, Chris Jordan, Umaid Asif and Mohammad Amir and brought in Mohammad Rizwan, Ali Khan, Waqas Maqsood and Umer Khan. The match was chaired by Michael Gough and Rashid Riaz. Ahsan Raza was the television host and Faisal Afridi the reservation manager. Roshan Mahanama was the referee of the match. Shane Watson was named the man of the game.
Karachi Kings won
Kings of Karachi
Sharjeel Khan b Naseem Shah 0
* Babar Azam c Nawaz b Fawad 32
Iftikhar Ahmed c Watson b S
