| کراچی کنگز | ||
 | ||
| League | Pakistan Super League | |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Shan Masood | |
| Coach | Phil Simmons | |
| Batting coach | Ravi Bopara | |
| Bowling coach | Steven Kirby | |
| Fielding coach | Tabish Khan | |
| Owner | Salman Iqbal ARY Digital Network | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Karachi,Sindh,Pakistan | |
| Founded | 2015; 10 years ago (2015) | |
| Home ground | National Stadium, Karachi | |
| Capacity | 34,230 | |
| History | ||
| PSL wins | 1 (2020) | |
| Official website | karachikings.com.pk | |
| ||
 2024 Karachi Kings season | ||
| Seasons |
|---|
Karachi Kings (Urdu:کراچی کنگز;Sindhi:ڪراچي ڪنگز) (abbreviated asKK) is a Pakistani professional franchiseTwenty20 cricket team that competes in thePakistan Super League (PSL). The team is based inKarachi, the provincial capital ofSindh,[1] and was formed in 2015 by thePakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The team's home ground is theNational Stadium.
The team is coached byPhil Simmons and captained byShan Masood.[2][3] They won their first PSL title inPSL V after beating their rivalsLahore Qalandars in the final on 17 November 2020.
The leading run-scorer for the side isBabar Azam,[4] whileMohammad Amir is the leading wicket-taker.[5]
On 3 December 2015, the PCB announced the owners of the initial five city-based franchises.[6] TheKarachi franchise was sold to the ARY Media Group for US$26 million for a ten-year period making it the most expensive franchise in thetournament.[7] However, in 2017, new franchiseMultan Sultans replaced Karachi Kings as the most expensive team in PSL history after the team was sold for US$41.6 million for an eight-year agreement.[8]
The Kings kicked off their campaign with an easy win against theLahore Qalandars at theDubai International Cricket Stadium, withMohammad Amir getting a hat-trick.[9]
The Kings only won one more match during the group stage of the tournament, finishing with two wins and six losses. They finished fourth in the league table however, aboveLahore Qalandars with a better head-to-head record, and qualified for the league play-off stage.
Ravi Bopara replacedShoaib Malik as the team captain ahead of the qualifier match againstIslamabad United.[10] After being restricted to their lowest score of the tournament (111), Karachi were defeated by nine wickets in the 15th over and were eliminated from the tournament.[11]
Kumar Sangakkara andBabar Azam joined Karachi for the second season of the PSL whilstAzhar Mehmood signed on as a coach.Sohail Tanvir was traded forChris Gayle of theLahore Qalandars during the off-season trade window.[12] During the2017 PSL players draft, Karachi retainedShoaib Malik,Imad Wasim,Ravi Bopara,Mohammad Amir,Sohail Khan,Saifullah Bangash, andShahzaib Hasan. The team added nine players to the squad, includingKieron Pollard,Mahela Jayawardena andRyan McLaren.[13]
In their first game, Karachi Kings lost toPeshawar Zalmi by 7 wickets in a one-sided affair that saw them post a target of just 118 runs in their 20 overs.[14] In the following game, against theQuetta Gladiators, the Kings failed to defend 160 and lost by 7 wickets yet again.[15] Even as the tournament progressed toSharjah, the Kings continued their losing streak. Facing a loss this time to arch-rivals,Lahore Qalandars. The match was closely fought and a partnership of 101 runs between veteransKumar Sangakkara andShoaib Malik almost won it for the Kings. But in the end they fell short of the target of 180 by 7 runs.[16] But in the next game, against defending championsIslamabad United. The team finally managed to put themselves on the points table. The win came through theDuckworth-Lewis method as the Kings were ahead of the par score by 8 runs when returning rain forced to abandon the already 13-over match.[17] In their final game of the Sharjah leg, the Kings continued their winning streak to get past Peshawar Zalmi in a thrilling contest. Setting up a target of 175, the Kings had the Zalmis reduced to 69-6 beforeShahid Afridi andDarren Sammy combined in a 70-run partnership that almost won the game for the Zalmis. However, the Kings' bowling prevailed in the end to give their team a 9-run victory.[18]
As the tournament moved back toDubai, the Kings couldn't continue their winning streak and lost to table-toppers, Quetta Gladiators, by 6 wickets. Batting first, the Kings set a target of 155 runs, which they were unable to defend despite a 3-wicket-over from pacerSohail Khan. This loss pushed the Karachi Kings to the bottom of the table once again.[19] However, in the next game, which had become a must-win for both participating teams, the Kings managed to prevail over their rivals the Lahore Qalandars in a thrilling last-ball finish. Chasing 156, the team required 10 runs from the last two balls, whichKieron Pollard surpassed with back-to-back sixes to keep his team alive in the tournament.[20]
Karachi then had to protect their net run rate in the very next league match, against Islamabad United, to qualify for the eliminator. In a rain-marred game, restricted to 15-overs-a-side, they were set a target of 124 by Islamabad and they had to score at least 111 runs to qualify for the eliminator. Gayle set the tempo through his blitzing knock of 44 off a mere 17 balls. The game was superbly finished by none other than Pollard himself on the second last ball of the match via a boundary. Gayle's knock and Pollard's finishing helped Karachi win this encounter against Islamabad.
Consequently, Karachi again faced Islamabad in the eliminator. In what proved to be a thrilling game, Karachi, batting first, scored a measly 126 getting all out in the process. Islamabad was set to win and qualify for the second play off. However, that was not the case as the second innings proved. The Karachi bowlers outshone the Islamabad bowlers with Muhammad Amir, Imad Wasim andUsama Mir each picking up three wickets. Islamabad were all out for a mere 82 runs, their lowest in the tournament and the second-lowest in the tournament's history.[21] Hence, the defending champions were knocked out and Karachi lived another day in the tournament and qualified for the second play-off.[22]
On 7 April 2017Shahid Afridi joined the team as president and player, and leftPeshawar Zalmi.[23]Mitchell Johnson was replaced byTymal Mills as he pulled out from the tournament a month before2018 season.In their opening match of the 2018 season, Kings ended the two-season losing streak againstQuetta Gladiators by beating them by 19 runs.[24] In their next game, the Kings continued their winning form by beating the defending champions,Peshawar Zalmi, in a closely fought game. Chasing a target of 132 runs, the team won with 2 balls and 5 wickets to spare.[25] Their next game was against arch-rivals,Lahore Qalandars.[26][27] Batting first, the Kings posted 159 for 9 on the board thanks to Bopara's unbeaten innings of 50 runs. In reply, the Qalandars got off to a great start, and were 68 for 1 inside 6 overs, but 3 quick wickets from man of the match,Shahid Afridi, ensured a third consecutive win for his side as the Qalandars fell short by 27 runs.[28] The Kings got eliminated in the match second eliminator match played at Lahore on 21 March 2018 against Peshawar Zalmi.[29]
As the league progressed toSharjah, the Kings' game againstMultan Sultans was washed out due to persistent rain.[30] In the next game, againstIslamabad United, the team's unbeaten run in the season was ended. Batting first, the Kings posted the highest target in Sharjah that year - 154 runs - before failing to defend it and losing the match by 8 wickets.[31]
Before the 2019 season,Wasim Akram joined the franchise as president.[32]
InPSL V, Karachi Kings reached the finals for the first time in PSL history after defeating theMultan Sultans in the qualifier match that went into aSuper Over.[33][34] They also went on to win the PSL V under the leadership ofImad Wasim. Karachi Kings defeated the Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in thefinal to win their maiden PSL title.[35]
In the 2021 season of PSL, Karachi Kings had an excellent kickstart with winning their first match of the season against Quetta Gladiators.[36]
The 2022 season proved to be highly challenging for Karachi Kings as they encountered significant setbacks. The team faced defeat in nine out of the ten matches played, ultimately concluding the season at the bottom of the points table.[37]
The team name and logo were revealed on 21 December 2015.[38] The logo features a lion with Karachi Kings written below in white and gold colors. At the ceremony, team ownerSalman Iqbal said that the logo and the theme of the team represented the true spirit and resilience of Karachi.[39] The team's primary jersey color is blue and gold. The jersey also incorporates the roaring lion logo in the bottom left of the shirt. AJ Sports (a sports manufacturing company) is the team's kit manufacturer.[40]
Bahria Town, the largest real-estate developers and investors in Pakistan and the largest private housing society in Asia were the team's title sponsors for first three seasons.[41] Besides Bahria Town other sponsors wereSummit Bank, The Arkadians, Oye Hoye,Pepsi,Brighto Paints and Shield Corporation Ltd. Their official main principle partner for the 2017 season was Naya Nazimabad.[42] Bridge Power was platinum sponsor.Cotton & Cotton signed an agreement to be their official apparel partner in December 2016. Vital Tea was their tea partner, their print media partner was the Pakistan Observer andTitans were their memorabilia partner.
| Year | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Chest branding | Sleeve branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | AJ Sports | Bahria Town | Summit Bank | The Arkadians | Oye Hoye Chips,K-Electric, Shield, Igloo Ice-cream |
| 2017 | Bridge Power Batteries | Oye Hoye Chips, Shield,Tapal Tea | |||
| 2018 | Nurture | Brighto Paints,Imtiaz Super Market, Shield | |||
| 2019 | TUC | Scene on! | Cadbury Dairy Milk | Imtiaz Super Market, Inverex, Rooh Afza | |
| 2020 | ARY Laguna | QMobile | Surf Excel | Imtiaz Super Market,Mughal Steel, ARY Laguna | |
| 2021 | Hashmi Ispaghol | Pepsi | Imtiaz Super Market,Mughal Steel, ME Body Spray | ||
| 2022 | PSO Carient Motor Oil | BankIslami | Imtiaz Super Market,Mughal Steel, Bona Papa | ||
| 2023 | 1XBAT | Imtiaz Super Market,Mughal Steel, ARY Laguna | |||
| 2024 | ARY Laguna | Imtiaz Super Market | VGO Tel | Mughal Steel, Eazicolor,Dawlance |
Karachi Kings' anthem for the inaugural season, was sung byAli Azmat, titled "Dilon Ke Badshah".The anthem of the team for 2017 season titled "Dhan Dhana Dhan Hoga Re" was sung byShehzad Roy.[43][44] As for 2018 season, "De Dhana Dhan" was the team's official anthem sung again by Shehzad Roy.[45] A little modified version of "De Dhana Dhan" was released by Shehzad Roy as the official anthem for the year 2019 and for 2020Asim Azhar sang "Yeh Hai Karachi" which remained the title for the future anthems that came out in 2022 and 2023 which were also sung by Asim Azhar. 2022 anthem featuredTalha Yunus and for 2023,Ali Azmat and Raamis Ali joined with Asim Azhar to release a banger.
Pakistani film starsFahad Mustafa,Humayun Saeed and singerShehzad Roy are the team's star ambassadors.[46][47]
Karachi Kings have an active rivalry withLahore Qalandars,[48] and is considered to be the biggest rivalry in the PSL due to the historic economic and cultural rivalry between the cities of the two teams.[49] As of the 2022* season, both teams have played 14 times, with the Kings coming out victorious 8 times.[50] Both teams have a large fan following which makes their matches more intense and interesting to watch.[51] Both teams are known to be the expensive teams of PSL.[6]
|
| No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Category | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||||
| 7 | Shan Masood |  Pakistan | (1989-10-14)14 October 1989 (age 35) | Platinum | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | 2025 | Captain |
| 31 | David Warner |  Australia | (1986-10-27)27 October 1986 (age 38) | Platinum | Left-handed | Right-arm leg-break | 2025 | |
| 14 | James Vince |  England | (1991-03-14)14 March 1991 (age 34) | Diamond | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2025 | Vice-captain |
| 45 | Irfan Khan Niazi | Pakistan | (2002-12-15)15 December 2002 (age 22) | Gold | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | 2025 | |
| 91 | Omair Yousuf | Pakistan | (1998-12-27)27 December 1998 (age 26) | Supplementary | Right-handed | — | 2025 | |
| 78 | Kane Williamson |  New Zealand | (1990-08-08)8 August 1990 (age 34) | Supplementary | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | 2025 | |
| 55 | Riazullah | Pakistan | (2007-07-20)20 July 2007 (age 17) | Emerging | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2025 | |
| All-rounders | ||||||||
| 33 | Khushdil Shah | Pakistan | (1995-02-07)7 February 1995 (age 30) | Gold | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2025 | |
| 25 | Aamir Jamal | Pakistan | (1996-08-05)5 August 1996 (age 28) | Silver | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2025 | |
| 87 | Mohammad Nabi |  Afghanistan | (1985-03-01)1 March 1985 (age 40) | Supplementary | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | 2025 | |
| 23 | Arafat Minhas | Pakistan | (2005-01-02)2 January 2005 (age 20) | Silver | Left-handed | Left-armorthodox | 2024 | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||||
| 63 | Tim Seifert | New Zealand | (1994-12-14)14 December 1994 (age 30) | Silver | Right-handed | — | 2025 | |
| 44 | Litton Das |  Bangladesh | (1994-02-13)13 February 1994 (age 31) | Silver | Right-handed | — | 2025 | |
| Bowlers | ||||||||
| 21 | Hasan Ali | Pakistan | (1994-02-07)7 February 1994 (age 31) | Diamond | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2025 | |
| 88 | Adam Milne | New Zealand | (1992-04-13)13 April 1992 (age 32) | Platinum | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2025 | |
| 24 | Mir Hamza | Pakistan | (1992-09-10)10 September 1992 (age 32) | Silver | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2025 | |
| 52 | Zahid Mahmood | Pakistan | (1988-03-20)20 March 1988 (age 37) | Gold | Right-handed | Right-arm leg-break | 2025 | |
| 99 | Abbas Afridi | Pakistan | (2001-04-05)5 April 2001 (age 23) | Platinum | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2025 | |
| 66 | Fawad Ali | Pakistan | (2001-12-31)31 December 2001 (age 23) | Emerging | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | 2025 | |
| 93 | Mirza Mamoon | Pakistan | (2000-05-19)19 May 2000 (age 24) | Supplementary | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2025 | |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner | Salman Iqbal ARY Digital Network |
| President | Wasim Akram |
| CEO | Tariq Wasi |
| Director | Haider Azhar |
| Head Coach | Phil Simmons |
| Assistant coach | Shahzaib Hasan |
| Batting coach | Ravi Bopara |
| Fast bowling coach | Steven Kirby |
| Fielding coach | Tabish Khan |
| Physio | Imtiaz Khan |
| Trainer | Ibrahim Qureshi |
| Performance analyst | Mohsin Sheikh |
| Masseur | Muhammad Irfan |
| Head of marketing | Shehzad Hassan Khan |
| Media manager | Rai Azlan |
| Name | From | To | Mat | Won | Lost | Tie&W | Tie&L | NR | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoaib Malik | 2016 | 2016 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Ravi Bopara | 2016 | 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 2017 | 2017 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Imad Wasim | 2018 | 2023 | 51 | 23 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 48.97 |
| Eoin Morgan | 2018 | 2018 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Mohammad Amir | 2018 | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Babar Azam | 2020 | 2022 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.09 |
| Shan Masood | 2024 | Present | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Year | Pld | Won | Loss | Tie&W | Tie&L | NR | SR (%) | Position | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.22 | 4/5 | Play-offs |
| 2017 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | 3/5 | Play-offs |
| 2018 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50.00 | 3/6 | Play-offs |
| 2019 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.45 | 4/6 | Play-offs |
| 2020 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 58.33 | 1/6 | Champions |
| 2021 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.45 | 4/6 | Play-offs |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 | 6/6 | League-stage |
| 2023 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30.00 | 5/6 | League-stage |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 | 5/6 | League-stage |
| Total | 36 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37.89 | 1 title |
Source:ESPNcricinfo, Last updated: 12 March 2024
| Opposition | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tie&W | Tie&L | NR | SR (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United | 2016–present | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.27 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 2016–present | 19 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 68.42 |
| Multan Sultans | 2018–present | 15 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 2016–present | 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 2016–present | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
Source:ESPNcricinfo, Last updated: 11 March 2024
Babar Azam is the leading run scorer with 2,398 runs andMohammad Amir is the leading wicket taker with 63 wickets.[52][53]
| Player | Years | Innings | Runs | High score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam | 2017–2022 | 64 | 2,398 | 90* |
| Imad Wasim | 2016–2023 | 63 | 1,086 | 92* |
| Sharjeel Khan | 2020–2023 | 36 | 827 | 105 |
| Shoaib Malik | 2016–2017; 2023–2024 | 38 | 813 | 71* |
| Colin Ingram | 2018–2021 | 26 | 613 | 127* |
| Player | Years | Innings | Wickets | Best bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Amir | 2016–2023 | 65 | 63 | 4/25 |
| Imad Wasim | 2016–2023 | 74 | 51 | 3/16 |
| Usman Shinwari | 2017–2019; 2022 | 29 | 37 | 4/15 |
| Sohail Khan | 2016–2017; 2019 | 19 | 22 | 3/23 |
| Umer Khan | 2019–2020 | 15 | 19 | 3/22 |
| Seasons |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Finals | ||
| Teams | ||
| Drafts | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Lists | ||
| Anthems | ||
| Controversies | ||
| Related topics | ||
