PSL 2020: Karachi Kings reaches final after Super Over win against Multan Sultans

Karachi Kings stormed into the final of the Pakistan Super League, defeating Multan Sultans via Super Over.

Babar Azam on way to his half-century in Karachi on Saturday.

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir lifted Karachi Kings into its first Pakistan Super League final with a victory in the Super Over against table-topper Multan Sultans on Saturday. Multan faces Lahore Qalandars on Sunday for another chance for next Tuesday’s final.

Amir gave away only nine runs in the Super Over by bowling brilliant yorkers to South African Rilee Rossouw and Englishman Ravi Bopara. West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford had smashed Sohail Tanvir for a six and a four which had eventually guided Karachi to 13 for 2 in the Super Over.

Karachi captain Imad Wasim’s unbeaten 27 had pushed the game into the Super Over off the last ball when he flicked fast bowler Mohammad Ilyas to square leg boundary for a four as the host finished at 141 for 8.

'Special credit to Amir'

Karachi had restricted Multan at 141 for 7 after Wasim won the toss and opted to field first with Bopara making a top-score of 40.

“Special credit to Amir (for the Super Over), to me he’s one of the best bowlers in the world,” Wasim said. “I want to dedicate this win to Dean Jones. If he was here, he would have been very happy. We’re going to play the final for Deano again.”

Karachi players wore black armbands in memory of Jones, their late coach. Both teams stood in a ‘D’ shape to honour the former Australian batsman.

Tanvir's double strike

Multan made a stunning comeback during the regulation 20-over game through Tanvir’s (3 for 25) double strike in the 17th over.

Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam (65 off 53 balls) scored a half -century and had Karachi in control at 116 for 3 before Tanvir had him caught behind.

The PSL playoffs resumed after they were suspended eight months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

QALANDARS DEFEAT ZALMI IN ELIMINATOR

Lahore Qalandars defeated Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets in the Eliminator. Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with an unbeaten 74.Medium-fast bowler Dilbar Hussain took three wickets.

Brief scores Multan Sultans 141 for 7 (Ravi Bopara 40) tied with Karachi Kings 141 for 8 (Babar  Azam 65, Sohail Tanvir 3-25).  Karachi Kings won the Super Over

 

Eliminator Peshawar Zalmi 170 for 9 in 20 overs (Shoaib Malik 39, G. C. Viljoen 37, Dilbar Hussain 3 for 33) lost to Lahore Qalandars 171 for 5 in 19 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 74 n.o., Saqib Mahmood 3 for 41) by five wickets.