Match overview
Karachi Kings chased down 197 to beat Rawalpindiz by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 2 April 2026. Chasing a competitive target in a venue where teams batting second win only 43% of the time, the Kings navigated the chase without a major collapse, finishing on 199/5. Azam Khan was named Player of the Match. The result moves Karachi Kings to three wins in their recent PSL campaign and leaves Rawalpindiz looking for their first victory.
Rawalpindiz batted first after losing the toss and posted 197/6. Their innings was structured well: a solid powerplay of 55/2 set the foundation, the middle overs delivered 85 runs for just one wicket, and the death overs added 57 runs despite losing three wickets. It was a score that should have been competitive on most days at Gaddafi Stadium, yet Karachi Kings had the batting resources to overhaul it.
Karachi's chase was defined by their middle phase. They scored 92 runs for one wicket between overs seven and fifteen, building a cushion that allowed them to absorb three late wickets in the death overs while still scoring 55 to cross the line. The Kings never needed to panic.
Venue and conditions
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is one of the PSL's most consistently high-scoring grounds. Across 145 matches, the average first-innings score sits at 208 and the average second-innings score at 177. Both teams beat their respective venue benchmarks in this fixture: Rawalpindiz fell short of the first-innings average, but Karachi comfortably surpassed the second-innings average.
The ground's powerplay average of 46 runs is worth bearing in mind. Both teams tracked close to that figure: Rawalpindiz scored 55 in the powerplay and Karachi 52, suggesting the surface played true and neither side particularly dominated the new ball phase. The death-overs average at the ground is 43 runs; both teams exceeded that too, which points to a surface that offered minimal assistance to bowlers across the full twenty overs.
Teams elect to field at Gaddafi Stadium roughly 49% of the time, reflecting a genuine split of opinion on whether chasing or setting is the better strategy. The 43% chase success rate is a slight signal in favour of batting first, which makes Karachi's successful chase marginally against the historical grain.
How to watch
PSL fixtures are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming available through Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers. Matches are played in Pakistan, so evening kick-offs in Lahore typically correspond to mid-afternoon or early-evening slots in the UK, depending on the time of year. Check the Sky Sports schedule for precise UK start times for remaining fixtures in this PSL season.
Recent form
Karachi Kings arrive in strong form by their recent standards. In 2026, they have beaten Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators before this win over Rawalpindiz, making it three wins in a row during the current campaign. Their 2025 record was more mixed: one win over Peshawar Zalmi alongside defeats to Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United. The current run suggests the squad has found some cohesion.
Rawalpindiz have had a harder time of late. Their only recorded 2026 result prior to this match was a loss to Peshawar Zalmi, and they were unable to defend 197 here despite posting what looked like a competitive score at the halfway stage. For Rawalpindiz, identifying why their bowling has struggled to close out matches will be the priority ahead of their next fixture in this PSL campaign.