David Warner says Kings ‘fell short in all three departments’ against United

RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings captain David Warner acknowledged falling short in all three departments in the high-stakes Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 match against defending champions Islamabad United here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Kings skipper Warner’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss backfired as the hosts piled up a massive total of 251/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Leading the way for them was openers Alex Hales and Sahibzada Farhan, who laid a solid foundation by recording the joint-highest partnership for the side in the league’s history.

Hales remained the top-scorer for the United with a 35-ball 88, studded with six fours and eight sixes, while Farhan made a 41-ball 73, featuring nine fours and three sixes.

Skipper Shadab Khan bolstered the United’s total at the backend with a quickfire 42-run cameo, coming off just 19 deliveries.

Chasing a daunting 252-run target and 204 to remain second in the PSL 10 standings, the 2020 champions could only muster 172 before being bowled out in the penultimate over.

Skipper David Warner remained the top-scorer for the Kings with a 28-ball 43, while fellow opener Tim Seifert (26) and number 10 batter Abbas Afridi (34) were the other notable run-getters.

Captain Shadab Khan was the standout bowler for the United, taking four wickets for 45 runs in his four overs, followed by Irshad, who bagged three. Imad Wasim sent back two Kings batters, while Salman Ali Agha chipped in with one scalp.

The defeat displaced Karachi Kings from the second position in the PSL 10 standings, meaning they will now take on arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the Eliminator on Thursday.

Reflecting on the defeat, Warner termed it a tough pill to swallow but emphasised that their focus remains on winning the next three matches to clinch the title. He vowed to regroup in the next two days and to make a strong comeback.

"We can let this one go and focus on winning the remaining three games to secure the silverware. We have a couple of days to regroup, and we must bounce back stronger,” said Warner.

Warner reiterated that they were aiming to chase down the 252-run target to secure the victory instead of amassing the 204-run mark, which would have allowed them to remain second in the standings, and admitted their failure in all three departments resulted in the defeat.

The target was big, but we were confident about chasing it. We aimed to show intent in the first six overs, and our priority was to win the game. We did well until around the 8th or 9th over, but then it slipped out of our hands. Our performance fell short in all three departments—batting, fielding, and bowling."