Karachi Kings’ on Tuesday night were crowned the winners of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after beating Lahore Qalandars by five wickets. Babar Azam knocked a commanding half-century to help his side win their first championship in five years at Karachi National Stadium.
Though Azam smashed seven boundaries in his 49-ball 63, it was skipper and KK captain Imad Wasim who hit the winning boundary to help the Kings overhaul a modest 135-run target in 18.4 overs.
The final — one of the most anticipated in PSL’s history, given the rivalry between the country’s two biggest cities — was played after a gap of nearly eight months after the PSL’s fifth edition came to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kings will take home a glittering trophy plus a half a million dollars while Lahore will receive $200,000.
Following the win, celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Asim Azhar and Mehwish Hayat celebrated Kings’ win and expressed their excitement on social media. Many also remembered the franchise’s head coach Dean Jones, who passed away in September in India.
“Mubarak ho Karachi walo!,” said Humayun Saeed. “It has indeed been a long wait but totally worth it. Wish Jones was also with us tonight.”
Mehwish Hayat said that the win was a “fitting tribute to their late coach, Dean Jones. He would really have been proud today.”
Asim Azhar celebrated by singing the Kings’ anthem ‘Ye Hai Karachi‘ and jumping in joy.
“Maza aagaya,” exclaimed Faysal Quraishi and Fahad Mustafa.
Adnan Siddiqui and Fahad were all praises for the Man of the Match Babar Azam, lavishing praises on him.
Shaniera Akram, whose husband Wasim Akram also coached the team, expressed that she felt “bittersweet,” adding that this win was for Jones.
Vasay Chaudhry couldn’t help but crack a joke over how Karachi needed a “Lahoria to get them through”.
Maya Ali said that the match was a “thriller”.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who captained Karachi Kings in 2017, also congratulated the team for “a wonderful win”.
