Photo Credit: Karachi Kings
The most followed franchise and defending champions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Karachi Kings, are ready to roar once again in the upcoming season sixth edition of the event, scheduled to start on February 20.
The reigning champions will take on Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Quetta Gladiators in the opening fixture at iconic National Stadium Karachi.
Kings roped in a balanced combination comprised of emerging, domestic and international stars in the players’ draft that held on January 10.
Led by one of the best all-rounders in the world in shorter format – Imad Wasim, having Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and spearhead Mohammad Amir in the ranks, Kings look dangerous on the paper.
With the inclusion of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Australia’s Dan Christian, they have strengthened the all-rounders’ department.
Moving on, Kings made some splendid picks in the shape of hard-hitter Danish Aziz, reliable opener Zeeshan Malik and budding all-rounder Qasim Akram. The young trio has a phenomenal chance to express themselves and clear the boundary to make it into the national team.
Here’s an overview of your favorite PSL team
Seasoned Pros
Imad Wasim:
Kings once again kept faith in Imad Wasim’s leadership abilities as he guided them to a first-ever PSL win over Lahore Qalandars in November 2020.
Imad is one of those players, every side wants to have. His precise bowling in powerplay overs, ability to take a calculated risk with the bat at key moments, makes him dangerous.
In 210 T20s, he has scored 1872 runs at a strike rate of 125.97. With the bowl, he has 182 wickets at an economy of 6.51.
Babar Azam
There’s nothing to tell about this lad as whenever he plays, the whole country comes together in front of the TV screens. His presence in Kings plays a huge role as the batting department revolves around him.
Babar bats at an average of 44.51 and have a strike rate of 127.53. The 26-year-old has played 162 T20s and has scored 5692 runs
Mohammad Amir
Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir will again lead the bowling attack and has been a core part of Kings since the first season.
He has vast experience of bowling at the front and at the back end of the innings. We have seen Amir being used by Imad in crunch moments and most of the time, he has emerged as the dominant one. In 185 T20s, he has bagged 216 wickets at an economy of 7.07.
Experienced Overseas
Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi is considered the backbone of T20 franchises all over the world. His power-hitting abilities and controlled off-spin bowling stand him out of his competitors. He is bringing a vast experience of 278 T20s and currently ranks No.1 in ICC all-rounder’s ranking.
Dan Christian
Having represented more than 15 franchises in T20 cricket ‘Daniel Trevor Christian’ is all set to stamp his credentials in a new franchise. The 37-year-old Christian has played 341 T20s and has scored 5096 runs and has taken 253 wickets.
His presence in the late middle-order will boost Kings’ chances to defend the prestigious PSL title.
Colin Ingram
The left-handed batsman Ingram is back in the Kings’ family after he was traded with Islamabad United.
Representing Kings in 2018 and 2019, Ingram was instrumental with the bat in middle-overs. He brings a lot to the table with his experience of 275 T20s.
Chadwick Walton
The Jamaican-born Walton was an integral part of Kings last season with his wicketkeeping duties. He additionally showed his power-hitting ability late down the order too.
With the experience of 164 T20s, he has scored 3111 runs at a strike-rate of 123.59. He has the highest T20 score of 99.
Joe Clarke
One of the most exciting talents from England and Nottinghamshire, the 26-year-old Joe Clarke is one to watch out for this season.
Clarke has experience of 69 T20 matches and has scored over 1600 runs with nine fifties and two centuries. The player of the tournament in Blast 2020 for Notts Outlaws was picked by Kings in Silver Category.
Domestic stalwarts
Aamir Yamin
An aspiring all-rounder from Multan, Aamir Yamin was retained by Kings. The 30-year-old adds depth to the Kings squad and will once again push to claim his spot permanently in the Pakistan squad with his all-round skills.
He bats with an impressive strike-rate of 135.62, scoring 750 runs in 84 matches. His medium-pace bowling and has earned him 67 wickets.
Waqas Maqsood
After being picked as a replacement during PSL 5, Waqas Maqsood went on to become a core of Kings’ attack in the playoffs.
The left-arm pacer is knocking on the doors of Pakistan cricket and PSL 6 is a perfect platform for him to further push his claim. The 33-year-old has taken 47 wickets in 42 matches with an economy of 7.11.
Sharjeel Khan
Rated as the best hitter in Pakistan currently, the left-handed opening batsman is eager to thrash opponents once again. The Hyderabad-born has scored 2256 runs at a healthy strike-rate of 138.40.
Exciting young talent
Danish Aziz
The 25-year-old Danish Aziz has recently appeared as one of the most composed and compact batsmen in the middle-order. He showed few glimpses of what he can do in the National T20 Cup for Sindh back in October 2020.
In 19 T20 innings, the Karachi-Born has hit 418 runs at an average of 41.80. He bats at a strike-rate of 138.41 and has 3 fifties to his credit.
Zeeshan Malik
Another emerging star Zeeshan Malik was picked by Kings in the silver category. The hard-hitting opening batsman has made strides at the local level. The Chakwal-born has scored 463 runs in 16 innings with a strike-rate of 120+.
Qasim Akram
The 18-year-old Qasim Akram has been in the limelight after his impressive performances for Central Punjab in 2020-21 domestic season.
All-rounder has made valuable contributions throughout the season but the youngster showed his abilities expressively in the recently concluded Pakistan Cup, he batted with an average of 57.75 there and was vital in scoring runs down the order for CP.
In T20Is, he has scored 72 runs at a strike rate of 150 and has taken three wickets with his off-spin bowling.
Arshad Iqbal
The 20-year-old Arshad Iqbal was the find for the Kings last season and has since revolutionized himself as a strike bowler in middle-overs in this format.
In PSL 5, he played seven games and bagged nine wickets while overall, he has 23 scalps in 18 games.
Noor Ahmed
The impressive signing of Afghanistan’s chinaman bowler Noor Ahmed has created excitement among Karachiites as he is just 16 and has bowled economical spells in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) for Melbourne Renegades recently.
The mystery spinner has experience of 21 T20 matches and has taken as many wickets.
Meanwhile, the 18th member of the Kings squad will be revealed just before the commencement of PSL 6 as they have reserved the rights for a later announcement
