Ahead of PSL 2020, here’s the Karachi Kings team preview, as we break down how the defending champions are shaping up ahead of the tournament.
Karachi Kings will be hoping to start where they left in the last season and they certainly have the potential to do so. In Babar Azam, they have one of the best batsman going around in world cricket. He finished last season as the highest run-scorer. He will have the support of his countryman Sharjeel Khan and South African Colin Ingram who is making a return to Kings after spending one season with Islamabad United.
They have good all-rounders in Muhammad Nabi, Dan Christian, Aamer Yamin and captain Imad Wasim. Joe Clarke and Chadwick Walton form a dynamic duo in the middle order.
The pace battery also looks good with likes of Muhammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood and Arshad Khan. Their spin department looks a bit thin on paper. They do have the services of Qasim Akram but he is still inexperienced. Furthermore, Imad Wasim is not a great turner of the ball. They have the option of using Muhammad Nabi as a spinner but this could turn out to be a big factor later in the tournament when pitches start to turn.
Karachi Kings squad list for PSL 2021
Imad Wasim (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, Colin Ingram, Aamer Yamin, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Nabi, Dan Christian, Chadwick Walton, Joe Clarke, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Ilyas, Zeeshan Malik, Qasim Akram, Noor Ahmad and Abbas Afridi.
Key Players
Babar Azam
The Pakistan captain had a brilliant Pakistan Super League last year and was unstoppable. He was one of the main reasons behind Kings charge to the title. The 27-year-old was consistent and gave his team formidable starts at the top of the order. He finshed PSL 5 with 473 runs at a whopping average of 59 with five half centuries.
Dan Christian
The Australian all-rounder is one of the most experienced T20 players going around in the circuit. He recently won the Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers and was one of the driving force behind their title win. He scored 272 runs with a strike rate of 182.55 with 18 sixes. With the ball in hand, he bagged 14 wickets. His change of pace will be very handy on the Pakistani pitches but as a package, he gives flexibility to the team.
Joe Clarke
The Englishmen will be a part of the Pakistan Super League for the first time. He was unstopplable in the England’s domestic competition for Nottinghamshire. The 24-year-old finished fifth on the scoring charts with 371 runs at a strike rate in excess of 170. He will fill the void left by Alex Hales in the side.
Karachi Kings will look to build on the gains they made during the 2020 season, where they won the trophy against Lahore Qalandars, but how they line up remains to be seen after some key personnel changes. They do have the firepower in all three facets of the game to go all the way this season.
