Azam’s belligerent 74 helps Karachi Kings cruise past Rawalpindiz

The night and the game belonged to Azam Khan, who showed just how lethal he can be with the bat when at his destructive best.

And that’s exactly what he did against the Rawalpindiz, notching up a sensational 74 off just 34 deliveries to help Karachi Kings chase down 198 by 5 wickets and register their third successive win of the HBL PSL 2026 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday night.

Although luck and fortune were well and truly on his side as he was dropped twice at crucial junctures, first by Rishad Hossain and then by Mohammad Amir, he continued to launch a barrage of big hits at whichever bowler came his way, smashing six fours and six sixes during the match-winning inning.

At one stage, the Kings required 70 runs off the last six overs, but then there was Azam, squeezing out 15 runs in the 14th over.

Then in the 17th over against Naseem Shah, he muscled two sixes and a four and also brought up his seventh PSL fifty. A six and a four in the next over reduced the equation to 14 off the last 12 balls.

With David Warner, who scored a well-made 50 off 36 balls, Azam stitched a crucial 76-run partnership for the third wicket before the Kings skipper was removed by Daryl Mitchell in the 16th over.

In the final over, Mitchell struck on the first delivery, but Abbas Afridi smashed a six on the subsequent ball to steer his side to their third straight win of the ongoing season.

For the Pindiz, Mitchell was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 32 runs in his 3.2 overs, while Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir picked up one wicket each.

Rawalpindiz innings

Batting first, the Rawalpindiz posted a challenging 198-run target for Karachi Kings, on the back of well-made half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell (65) and Sam Billings (58).

After being put in to bat, Rawalpindi had a shaky start as Hasan Ali dismissed captain Mohammad Rizwan for 21 in the third over with the score at 28.

Khushdil Shah then struck twice, removing Yasir Khan (8) and Kamran Ghulam (10) in quick succession, leaving the side struggling at 55-3 in 6.1 overs.

Following the early setbacks, Mitchell and Billings steadied the innings with a crucial 120-run partnership for the fourth wicket, with both batters scoring half-centuries.

Hasan Ali eventually broke the stand in the 18th over by dismissing Billings, while Mir Hamza removed Mitchell on the first ball of the 19th over.

Mitchell top-scored with 65 off 41 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, while Billings made 58 off 35 deliveries, including eight fours and a six. Abdullah Fazal added quick runs at the end with an unbeaten 17 off eight balls, striking three boundaries, including two sixes.

For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali was the pick of the bowlers with 3/24, while Khushdil Shah took two wickets and Mir Hamza claimed one.