Twitter Reactions: Karachi Kings breeze past Gladiators in a one-sided encounter in PSL 2021 season opener

The Universe Boss arrived in style in PSL but his team lost the opening game.

By Aditya Gajanan Kukalyekar verified

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2 Min Read

Joe Clarke
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Joe Clarke. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) didn’t get off to an expected start as the defending champions Karachi Kings defeated the Quetta Gladiators in a one-sided encounter. It was a delayed start to the game due to the virtual opening ceremony and at the toss, the Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. The first over of the season witnessed a wicket as the skipper Imad Wasim dismissed Tom Banton.

The Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed opened the innings only to find himself back in the dugout in the third over. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals but the Universe Boss Chris Gayle got going to up the run-rate. He slammed 39 off just 24 balls with four fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Daniel Christian. It was all one-way traffic since then as the Quetta side was bundled out for just 121 runs in the 19th over.

Arshad Iqbal was the most successful bowler as he returned with the figures of 3/16 in his four overs while Waqas Maqsood picked a couple in 2.2 overs.

Joe Clarke and Nabi’s assault takes Karachi Kings home

Karachi Kings got off to a brilliant start in the chase thanks to Joe Clarke who ripped apart Qais Ahmad churning out 27 runs off his single over. Sharjeel Khan’s early dismissal didn’t affect the Kings at all due to his assault and in no time, the team crossed the 50-run mark. Even after Clarke was dismissed for 46 off 23 it was all about the defending champions as they didn’t fluster and runs kept coming easily.

Babar Azam became the highest run-getter in the PSL going past Kamran Akmal but his form still looks deserted as he could only score 24 off 20 balls. Mohammad Nabi then slammed an unbeaten 30 off 14 balls with two fours and three sixes while Colin Ingram scraped through to 17 runs. Mohammad Hasnain was the best bowler for the Gladiators (2/18) but he didn’t get the desired support from the other end.

Karachi Kings completed the chase in the 14th over itself to register their first win in the tournament. The Gladiators, on the other hand, will have to move on from this defeat soon and make amends for a dismal show.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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PSL 2024Karachi KingsQuetta GladiatorsPakistan