Stadium on Friday. —Tahir Jamal/White Star
KARACHI: The HBL Pakistan Super League’s tenth edition will arrive here at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday with a contest between two hungry sides in Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans – the former desperate for a place in the playoffs, the latter looking to finally get their hands on the trophy.
The Kings, the home team, have not made it to the top four of a PSL table in the last three seasons, while the Sultans have ended as runners-up in all those.
For Multan, who have an established core of players and a stable team management setup, the latest PSL edition will be about taking yet another shot at the title. Karachi, meanwhile, will go into a tournament as a transformed side.
The transformation was symbolised by the signing of former Australian opener David Warner in the player draft process, but it was not all about the flamboyant southpaw, who is set to feature in the PSL for the first time.
Karachi Kings have in their ranks the likes of Bangladesh’s Litton Das and in-form New Zealand Twenty20 specialist Tim Seifert, along with former Kiwis skipper Kane Williamson — though he will be available for only three matches.
They are ripe with all-round options in Aamer Jamal’s pace and the spin prowess of Pakistan’s Khushdil Shah and Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi.
One of the best bowlers across the last few seasons of the PSL, Abbas Afridi, will also be a Karachi Kings player this season, with fellow pacers Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza bringing in much-needed experience.
Warner, named Karachi’s captain already, though, doesn’t want to look too far ahead. For the 38-year-old, a good start is all that matters.
“Our immediate focus is to win the opening game,” he told reporters on the eve of the Multan clash. “The team is shaping up well, and we’ve had productive training sessions despite the warm weather.”
Warner said the plethora of options at Karachi’s disposal will allow the team to make playing XI selections based on match-ups and the conditions at play.
On Friday, he found the National Bank Stadium surface full of grass, reminding him of Australia.
“The surface here gives us something familiar to work with,” he said. ““We’ll continue to adjust our playing XI based on match conditions and pitch behavior.
“The vibe within the group is fantastic,” said Warner. “We want to enjoy the tournament while staying focused on our goals.”
Multan, since their triumphant 2021 title-winning campaign in Abu Dhabi against Peshawar Zalmi, have come heartbreakingly close, finishing as runners-up in three consecutive finals — twice to Lahore Qalandars (2022 and 2023) and once to Islamabad United (2024).
As one of the most consistent and successful franchises in the league, the Sultans are now focused on overcoming the final hurdle: lifting the PSL trophy and ending the four-year title drought.
The Mohammad Rizwan-led team hold a clear advantage over Karachi Kings, having won six of their last seven encounters and holding a 7-5 overall record in 15 head-to-head PSL matches. “We’ve reached four consecutive finals this decade but crossed the line only once, in 2021,” Rizwan said. “That remains our ultimate goal and we’re confident and determined to achieve it through consistent and strong performances.”
Wary of Karachi’s batting strength, Rizwan said he was confident Multan would pose a challenge.
“The Karachi Kings match is going to be tough,” he said. “They have a strong batting lineup, but we’ve planned to exploit their weaknesses with our bowling attack.
“For Karachi, we’ll focus on early wickets to put their middle order under pressure.”
Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025