Lahore Qalandars will now face Islamabad United in Eliminator 2 on Friday, 23 May, at the same venue. Karachi Kings’ HBL PSL X campaign came to an end with six wins and five losses. The winner of Eliminator 2 will meet Quetta Gladiators in the final on 25 May.
Chasing 191, Fakhar Zaman (47 off 28) and Mohammad Naeem (14 off 12) gave Lahore Qalandars a strong start. Fakhar’s aggressive innings included five fours and three sixes, helping set the tone for Lahore Qalandars second-highest successful chase in PSL history.
Lahore Qalandars 191/4
Karachi Kings 190/8
Abdullah Shafique joined the action in the fifth over and partnered with Fakhar for a 33-run stand. He then dominated the bowlers alongside Kusal Perera (30 off 24), putting up 67 runs in five overs. Their 83-run partnership ended in the 16th over when Abdullah (65 off 35) fell to a brilliant catch by James Vince.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa sealed the win with a brisk 23* off 12 balls, smashing two fours and a six. Lahore Qalandars chased down the target with eight balls remaining. For Karachi, Hasan Ali picked up two wickets, while Fawad Ali and Mir Hamza took one each.
Earlier, Karachi posted 190-8, powered by David Warner’s 75 off 52 balls. Khushdil Shah added an unbeaten 27 off 14, while Mohammad Nabi chipped in with 18. Shaheen Afridi led Lahore Qalandars pace attack, which shared six wickets. Shakib Al Hasan also struck, removing James Vince during a tidy spell.
Despite Warner’s heroics, Karachi couldn’t contain Lahore Qalandars explosive batting, ending their tournament run.