PSL 2026: Karachi Kings Beat Lahore Qalandars by 4 Wickets

Karachi Kings pulled off a tense four-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars in the 6th match of Pakistan Super League 2026 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 29 March 2026. 

Kings reached 131/6 in 19.3 overs, chasing a modest target of 129. The match went down to the wire, with Abbas Afridi hitting a four and a six off Haris Rauf in the final over to finish things off.

LQ Vs KK Match Scorecard

Lahore Qalandars Batting: A Middle-Order Job Left Unfinished

Lahore Qalandars won the toss and chose to bat first, but could never really find their footing on a pitch that was two-paced and offering inconsistent bounce; it was the ground’s fourth consecutive match on the same surface.

They lost Fakhar Zaman early in the first over, stumped off Moeen Ali for just 1. Mohammad Naeem followed in the fourth over for 13. Despite those early setbacks, Abdullah Shafique steadied things with a quickfire 33 off 24 balls before holing out to long-on off Adam Zampa. Parvez Hossain Emon was then trapped lbw by Salman Agha in the very next ball, reducing Qalandars to 62/4.

Sikandar Raza (19) and Haseebullah Khan (28) put on a 43-run partnership that brought some stability. Haseebullah welcomed Abbas Afridi with a four and a six in a single over. But once Raza fell in the 15th over, and Shaheen Shah Afridi followed in the 16th, the innings caved in quickly. Qalandars lost their last five wickets for just 20 runs, finishing at 128/9.

Karachi Kings Bowling: Zampa Tightens the Screws, Rauf Bleeds Runs

Adam Zampa was the standout bowler for Kings, picking up 2 wickets for just 11 runs in 4 overs, including a maiden, the most economical spell of the match. Mir Hamza took 2/14 in 3 overs. Moeen Ali grabbed 2/31 in 4 overs, while Hasan Ali and Salman Agha each took one wicket.

Kings Chase: Shaheen Strikes, But Waseem Holds the Middle

Chasing 129 was never simple. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled an exceptional spell of 4/18 in 4 overs, removing David Warner (8) and Salman Agha (0) in the space of three balls in the third over. Kings were 18/2 after five powerplay overs, well behind the required rate.

Muhammad Waseem was the anchor of the chase. Opening with Warner, Waseem fought hard for his 38 off 37 balls. In the 13th over, he hit Haris Rauf for a four and a six, the most expensive over of the match, to shift the momentum. Moeen Ali contributed 18 off 21 before being dismissed in the 15th over.

After both Waseem and Ali fell in the 15th over, the Kings were 88/5, still needing 41 off the last five. Khushdil Shah (13) and Azam Khan (14 not out) steadied the chase with a 32-run partnership and took the team into the last over needing 14 runs.

The Penalty That Changed the Last Over

What made the final over particularly dramatic was a 5-run penalty awarded to Karachi Kings before a ball was bowled. The umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars for unfairly changing the condition of the ball at the end of the 18th over. Additionally, Qalandars were hit with a slow over-rate penalty from overs 19.1 to 20.0, which meant an extra fielder had to be placed inside the circle, restricting their bowling options.

As a result, what was a 14-run target off 6 balls came down to 9 runs needed off 6. Abbas Afridi then hit Haris Rauf for a boundary and a six on consecutive balls to seal the win with 3 balls to spare.

Rauf finished with a brutal figure of 1/45 in 3.3 overs.

Adam Zampa Named Player of the Match

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa took home the Player of the Match award for his controlled 4-over spell of 2/11, which was the tightest bowling performance across both innings on a difficult pitch.

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What’s Next

Karachi Kings will be back in action on April 2 when they face Rawalpindi Pindiz at Lahore, a game they will enter on the back of two wins from two matches, and against a newly formed franchise still finding their footing in their first PSL season. Three days later, on April 9, they travel to Karachi to face Peshawar Zalmi, where the home crowd, however sparse given the behind-closed-doors restrictions, will be expecting them to keep this run going.

For Lahore Qalandars, the situation is more urgent. They face Multan Sultans on April 3 at Lahore, a side with experience and firepower, and a game they cannot afford to lose, having already dropped their opening fixture. The Haris Rauf problem needs addressing before then; 1/45 in 3.3 overs in a 128-run chase is not a blip. It is a pattern that Multan will look to exploit immediately. Beyond the bowling, the ball-tampering penalty that gifted Kings five runs in the final over will be a talking point at the selection table. Discipline cost them this match more than ability did.

Both sides meet again on April 23 in Lahore. By then, the points table will have much more shape to it, and what felt like a close result tonight could end up being the difference between a playoff spot and an early exit.

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