Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars to win the PSL 2020 final in Karachi on November 17 (Tuesday). They won the much-coveted title after Babar Azam scored 63 not out off 49 balls to track down 135 needed for victory with eight balls to spare.
After the win, Kings captain Imad Wasim and coach Wasim Akram dedicated their title to late Australian cricketer turned commentator Dean Jones. It was Jones who guided the Karachi Kings to the knockouts before the pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed.
Karachi Kings dedicate the title to Dean Jones
After the win, Akram and Imad posted a special video on PSL’s official Twitter handle dedicating the win to Jones. Incidentally, Dean Jones passed away last month in a sudden cardiac arrest in Mumbai while he was working on IPL 2020.
“Hi guys, Karachi Kings are the champions. It’s for Dean Jones and of course for the fans of Karachi, you have been waiting for this for 5 years. Congratulations Karachi Kings and our skipper Imad Wasim, well done,” Wasim Akram said.
A special victory for Karachi Kings, which coach Wasim Akram dedicated to the late Dean Jones 🌟 pic.twitter.com/RM5LIZdbfL
— ICC (@ICC) November 17, 2020
Meanwhile, Karachi Kings skipper Imad Wasim credited Dean Jones for his guidance throughout the league stage.
“Dean Jones, of course, gets credit because what he taught us, very few coaches in the world can. Wasim Akram, of course, deserves the trophy because he was our bowling coach, head coach, mentor and team president rolled in one. It’s an honour to captain this franchise,” Imad said.
Also Read: PCB Appoints Babar Azam As Test Captain
Lahore Qalandars won the toss and opted to bat first in the PSL 2020 final. They scored 134 for 7 in their 20 overs with Tamim Iqbal top-scoring with 35. For the Kings, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal and Umaid Asif picked two wickets each.
Babar Azam then scored a fine fifty (63*) to anchor the chase for Karachi. Chadwick Walton scored a quick-fire 22 and skipper Imad Wasim was unbeaten on 10 at the end to take their side home with five wickets and eight balls to spare.
Babar Azam was named the Man of the Match and the Series for his splendid performance with the bat throughout the season. He top-sored in the season with 473 runs from 12 games including five fifties.
“I have been having a good time with the bat. I didn’t panic and played according to the situation. The wicket was a little slow. I played my normal game, I try to stay calm. Our team was brilliant in the field today” said Azam after his match-winning innings.
