Karachi Kings secured a four-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars after a late penalty reduced the target during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 edition match in Lahore.
The turning point came before the final over when umpires ruled the ball condition had been altered and awarded five penalty runs to Karachi Kings at the crucial time of the game.
The decision reduced the target from 14 runs to nine in the last over, which was bowled by Haris Rauf, significantly changing the match situation in favour of Karachi Kings.
Abbas Afridi then struck boundaries on consecutive deliveries to help Karachi Kings reach 129 with three balls remaining, completing a tense chase despite losing six wickets.
Earlier, the defending champions posted 128 runs for nine after captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chose to bat first, with Abdullah Shafique scoring 33 runs in that innings.
Haseebullah Khan added 28 runs while Lahore Qalandars struggled for momentum, as Karachi Kings bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings on a challenging pitch during the contest.
Karachi’s chase was led by Muhammad Waseem, who scored 38 runs, while Saad Baig and Moeen Ali contributed 19 and 18 respectively for their team.
Fakhar Zaman was later charged with a Level 3 offence for allegedly breaching rules related to ball condition during the second innings in the game.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama conducted a hearing where Fakhar denied the charge, with a further decision expected within 48 hours following proceedings in the case.
Shaheen Afridi said after the match that he was unaware of the specific allegation but acknowledged the penalty and stated the team would review situation.
