Karachi Kings defeat Lahore Qalandars in PSL clash

Karachi Kings secured a four-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in a rain-shortened Pakistan Super League match, with Irfan Khan Niazi playing a pivotal role by scoring an unbeaten 48 off 21 balls, including five sixes in the final overs. The match was reduced to 15 overs per side after rain interrupted Lahore’s innings, during which Mohammad Naeem scored 65 and Fakhar Zaman added 51, setting a revised target of 168 for Karachi. Abbas Afridi led Karachi’s bowling attack, taking four wickets as Lahore finished on 160-8. In Karachi’s chase, openers David Warner and Tim Seifert contributed 24 runs each before Niazi and Mohammad Nabi built a crucial 45-run partnership to secure the win with three balls to spare. The victory moved Karachi above Lahore into third place in the standings, level on points with second-place Islamabad United, while Lahore remained two points behind leaders Quetta Gladiators. The result highlighted Niazi’s late-innings power hitting and Karachi’s resilience under pressure.