Many of the Karachi Kings fans will be more excited this season because this year new faces have joined. At the same time, some may miss their former captain Imad Wasim, the arrival of Shan Masood as the new skipper will make things more interesting for the Kings. As the ninth season arrives, we look at the PSL 2024 Karachi Kings Preview and whether the new team can lift their second HBL PSL title.
Two of Karachi’s biggest players who have been with the side from the start, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir will not be featuring this year following them moving to another franchise. And both of them are the leading wicket-takers for their franchise. How their absence will affect the team will be seen.
But with the appointment of Shan Masood, the current Pakistan Test captain, there will be more expectations for the franchise to do better. Karachi has played only one final and most of the time falls short in the playoffs. Shan’s exceptional captaincy in Test cricket pinned hopes for the Kings’ fans to do wonders this season. Let’s take a look at what they have to offer this year.
Interesting to Read: Karachi Kings’ Problems: From Champions to Chumps
PSL 2024 Karachi Kings Preview
Performance History
| Season | Matches | Won | Lost | No-Result | Tied | Final Result |
| 2016 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Playoffs |
| 2017 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Playoffs |
| 2018 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | Playoffs |
| 2019 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Playoffs |
| 2020 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Champions |
| 2021 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Playoffs |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | League Stage |
| 2023 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | League Stage |
| Total | 85 | 32 | 49 | 2 | 2 | Title – 1/8 |
In the eight years of playing the Super League, Karachi has qualified for the finals only once and won that season. But most of the time, when it comes to playoffs, they fall short. They came very close in the 2018 season but fell short in the Eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi.
They have a poor record against Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United, where they collectively have won 16 games in 55 games across eight seasons.
Karachi Kings Squad for PSL 9:
- Shan Masood (Capt)
- Kieron Pollard
- Daniel Sams
- Mohammad Nawaz
- James Vince
- Hasan Ali
- Tim Seifert (WK)
- Shoaib Malik
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Mir Hamza
- Muhammad Akhlaq (WK)
- Mohammad Amir Khan
- Anwar Ali
- Arafat Minhas
- Irfan Khan
- Sirajuddin
- Saad Baig
- Leus du Plooy
- Mohammad Rohid
- Zahid Mahmood
Possible IX
- Shan Masood (Capt)
- James Vince
- Saad Baig
- Shoaib Malik
- Tim Seifert (WK)
- Kieron Pollard
- Anwar Ali
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Hassan Ali
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Mir Hamza
Also Read: Reasons Why Karachi Kings is the Least-Loved PSL Franchise
PSL 2024 Karachi Kings Preview: Previous tournament and top performers
Last Tournament Performance
In the 2023 season, Karachi were eliminated in the league stage, winning only three games out of ten. However, they had three close games, losing by 2 runs (in their opener against Peshawar), by 6 runs (against Quetta) and by 3 runs (against Multan).
Imad Wasim stood up as the skipper, scoring 404 runs at a Strike Rate of 170 and an average of 134. For bowling, Mohammad Amir led the charts with only nine scalps at 23.
Top Batter
Across six seasons, Babar Azam has been the most prolific run-getter not just for Kings but in the whole PSL. With 2398 runs, he was clear ahead of everyone in the chart. The next best is the former Kings player Imad himself, scoring 1086 runs. Imad and Babar are the only players from this franchise to score over 1000 PSL runs for a single franchise.
Top Wicket Taker
Mohammad Amir, playing since 2016, leads the chart with 63 wickets. Imad once again comes in second place, with 51. These two are the only players with 50+ wickets for their franchise.
Expectations this time
Shan Masood showed his tremendous leadership skills in the Australian Test series. Many fans have called for the better of Karachi Kings after Shan was brought into the side.
The return of Shoaib Malik, Anwar Ali and Kieron Pollard adds more experience to the team, strengthening their middle order. James Vince and Time Seifert will add an element of excitement with their hard-hitting.
While they will miss Amir, the inclusion of Hassan Ali and his rich experience in the PSL will add a bonus. His bowling ability and leadership will help the younger bowlers to bowl better. Bowling has been an issue with the team, but this time it may get better.
Should all pieces fit together, this season may become one of Karachi’s best seasons. And it would be cherry on top if they win their second title.
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