VIDEO: Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars, clinch maiden PSL title

Gulf Today Report

Karachi Kings defeated Lahore Qalandars by five wickets to clinch the maiden Pakistan Super League title at the National Stadium in Karachi on Tuesday.

Both teams were playing their first-ever PSL final but in the end it was Karachi Kings who emerged winners of one of Pakistan's top T20 tournaments.

Babar Azam scored 63 off 49 balls and Chadwick Walton hit quick-fire 27 as Karachi Kings chased down the winning target of 134 in 18.4 overs.

For Qalandars, pacers Dilbar Hussain and Haris Rauf were the most successful bowlers as they claimed two wickets each.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar won the toss and elected to bat first. Batting first, Qalandars posted a modest total of 134-7 in their 20 overs, despite having a 68-run opening partnership.

Tamim Iqbal finished the innings with the top score of 35 off 38 balls. For Kings, pacer Umaid Asif, Waqas Maqsood and Arshad Iqbal claimed two wickets each.

Azam raised his half-century with back to back boundaries against Pakistan’s premier pace bowler, Shaheen Afridi, and captain Imad Wasim hit the winning runs, a boundary through the covers against the left-arm fast bowler in the penultimate over.

Chadwick Walton, who made 22, combined with Azam for 61 from 50 balls for the third wicket.

In the death overs, Samit Patel and Ben Dunk fell to false strokes against medium pacer Arshad Iqbal, 2-26. Fast bowler Waqar Maqsood capped a brilliant bowling performance by Karachi when he had two wickets in the penultimate over.

Lahore let 52 balls go for dots in its first final.