Karachi Kings facts for kids
| کراچی کنگز | ||
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| League | Pakistan Super League | |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Shan Masood | |
| Coach | Phil Simmons | |
| Batting coach | Ravi Bopara | |
| Bowling coach | Steven Kirby (fast bowling) | |
| Fielding coach | Vacant | |
| Owner | Salman Iqbal ARY Digital Network |
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| Team information | ||
| City | Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan | |
| Founded | 2015 | |
| Home ground | National Stadium, Karachi | |
| Capacity | 68,519 | |
| History | ||
| PSL wins | 1 (2020) | |
| Official website | karachikings.com.pk | |
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| 2024 Karachi Kings season | ||
The Karachi Kings (often called KK) is a professional Twenty20 cricket team from Pakistan. They play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is a big cricket tournament. The team is based in Karachi, a major city in Pakistan.
The Karachi Kings were created in 2015 by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Their home ground is the National Stadium in Karachi. The team is currently coached by Phil Simmons and led by captain Shan Masood.
The Kings made history in 2020 by winning their first ever PSL title. They beat their rivals, the Lahore Qalandars, in an exciting final match. The team's top run-scorer is Babar Azam, and Mohammad Amir has taken the most wickets for them.
Contents
Team History: How the Kings Started
When the Pakistan Super League began, five city-based teams were announced. The Karachi team was bought by the ARY Media Group in 2015. They paid US$26 million for the team, making it the most expensive team at that time. This agreement was for ten years.
Later, in 2017, a new team called Multan Sultans joined the league. They were sold for even more money, US$41.6 million, for an eight-year deal. This made the Multan Sultans the new most expensive team.
2016 Season: First Steps
The Karachi Kings started their first season with a good win against the Lahore Qalandars. In that match, Mohammad Amir even took a special "hat-trick" (three wickets in a row).
However, the Kings struggled after that. They only won one more match in the group stage. They finished fourth out of five teams. Even so, they still qualified for the play-off stage because of their head-to-head record against Lahore.
Before the play-off match, Ravi Bopara became the new captain, replacing Shoaib Malik. The Kings scored their lowest total of the tournament (111 runs) and lost to Islamabad United. This meant they were out of the tournament.
2017 Season: New Players and Close Games
For the 2017 season, famous players like Kumar Sangakkara and Babar Azam joined the Karachi Kings. Azhar Mehmood also became a coach. The team traded Sohail Tanvir for Chris Gayle from the Lahore Qalandars.
In the player draft, the Kings kept many of their original players. They also added new international stars like Kieron Pollard and Mahela Jayawardena.
The Kings had a tough start, losing their first three matches. But they bounced back in Sharjah, winning two games in a row. One of these wins was a thrilling 9-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi.
Back in Dubai, they lost to Quetta Gladiators. But then, in a must-win game against Lahore Qalandars, Kieron Pollard hit two sixes on the last two balls to win the match! This kept the Kings in the tournament.
They then beat Islamabad United in a rain-shortened game to qualify for the eliminator match. In the eliminator, they faced Islamabad United again. The Kings scored only 126 runs. But their bowlers, especially Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, and Usama Mir, bowled brilliantly. They bowled out Islamabad for just 82 runs, winning the match and moving to the next play-off.
2018 Season: Shahid Afridi Joins
In 2017, cricket legend Shahid Afridi joined the Karachi Kings as both a player and the team president. He had previously played for Peshawar Zalmi.
The Kings started the 2018 season very well. They broke their losing streak against Quetta Gladiators, winning by 19 runs. They also beat defending champions Peshawar Zalmi in a close game.
Their match against rivals Lahore Qalandars was also a win for the Kings. Shahid Afridi took three quick wickets, helping his team win by 27 runs. The Kings' unbeaten run ended when they lost to Islamabad United in Sharjah. They were eventually knocked out in the second eliminator match by Peshawar Zalmi.
2019 Season: Wasim Akram Becomes President
Before the 2019 season, another cricket legend, Wasim Akram, joined the Karachi Kings as their president.
2020 Season: Champions at Last!
The 2020 season was the best for the Karachi Kings! They reached the PSL finals for the first time ever. They won a thrilling qualifier match against the Multan Sultans, which went into a "Super Over" (a tie-breaker).
Under the leadership of Imad Wasim, the Kings went on to win the final. They defeated their big rivals, the Lahore Qalandars, by five wickets. This was their first ever PSL title!
2021 Season: A Strong Start
In the 2021 PSL season, the Karachi Kings started off very well. They won their first match against the Quetta Gladiators.
2022 Season: A Difficult Year
The 2022 season was very tough for the Karachi Kings. They lost nine out of their ten matches. This meant they finished at the very bottom of the points table.
2023 Season: Looking to Improve
In the 2023 season, the Kings tried to improve their performance. They won three out of ten matches, finishing fifth out of six teams.
Team Look and Feel
The Karachi Kings' team name and logo were shown to the public in December 2015. Their logo features a powerful lion with "Karachi Kings" written below it in white and gold. The team owner, Salman Iqbal, said the logo shows the strong and never-give-up spirit of Karachi.
The team's main jersey colors are blue and gold. The roaring lion logo is also on the bottom left of the shirt. AJ Sports, a company that makes sports gear, creates their kits.
Many companies have sponsored the Karachi Kings over the years. Bahria Town, a large real estate company in Pakistan, was their main sponsor for the first three seasons. Other sponsors have included Summit Bank, Pepsi, and Brighto Paints.
Team Songs
The Karachi Kings have special team songs, called anthems, for each season.
- For the first season, the anthem was "Dilon Ke Badshah" sung by Ali Azmat.
- In 2017 and 2018, Shehzad Roy sang the anthems "Dhan Dhana Dhan Hoga Re" and "De Dhana Dhan."
- Since 2020, Asim Azhar has sung the team's anthems, starting with "Yeh Hai Karachi." He continued to sing modified versions of this song in 2022 and 2023. For the 2023 anthem, Ali Azmat and Raamis Ali also joined in.
Team Ambassadors
Famous Pakistani film stars Fahad Mustafa, Humayun Saeed, and singer Shehzad Roy are the official ambassadors for the Karachi Kings team.
Rivalry: Kings vs. Qalandars
The Karachi Kings have a big rivalry with the Lahore Qalandars. This is considered the biggest rivalry in the PSL. It's partly because Karachi and Lahore are two of Pakistan's largest cities, and they have a long history of competition in many areas.
These two teams have played each other many times. As of the 2022 season, the Kings have won 8 out of 14 matches against the Qalandars. Both teams have a huge number of fans, which makes their matches very exciting and intense to watch. They are also known as two of the most expensive teams in the PSL.
Current Team Players
|
| No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Category | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||||
| 14 | James Vince |  England |
14 March 1991 | Diamond | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2023 | Vice-captain |
| 75 | Irfan Khan |  Pakistan |
28 December 2002 | Emerging | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2023 | |
| 76 | Leus du Plooy |  South Africa |
12 January 1995 | Supplementary | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | 2024 | |
| 94 | Shan Masood | Pakistan |
14 October 1989 | Gold | Left-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2024 | Captain |
| All-rounders | ||||||||
| 18 | Shoaib Malik | Pakistan |
1 February 1982 | Gold | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2023 | |
| 21 | Mohammad Nawaz | Pakistan |
21 March 1994 | Platinum | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | 2024 | |
| 23 | Arafat Minhas | Pakistan |
2 January 2005 | Silver | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | 2024 | |
| 48 | Anwar Ali | Pakistan |
25 November 1987 | Silver | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2024 | |
| 55 | Kieron Pollard |  West Indies |
15 May 1987 | Platinum | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2024 | |
| 88 | Jamie Overton | England |
10 April 1994 | Supplementary | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | 2024 | |
| 95 | Daniel Sams |  Australia |
27 October 1992 | Platinum | Right-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2024 | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||||
| 24 | Saad Baig | Pakistan |
1 November 2006 | Supplementary | Left-handed | N/A | 2024 | |
| 43 | Tim Seifert |  New Zealand |
14 December 1994 | Diamond | Right-handed | N/A | 2024 | |
| 50 | Muhammad Akhlaq | Pakistan |
12 November 1992 | Silver | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2023 | |
| Bowlers | ||||||||
| 9 | Mohammad Amir Khan | Pakistan |
9 September 2001 | Silver | Right-handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2024 | |
| 26 | Tabraiz Shamsi | South Africa |
18 February 1990 | Gold | Left-handed | Left-arm unorthodox | 2023 | |
| 32 | Hasan Ali | Pakistan |
2 July 1994 | Diamond | Right-handed | Right-arm medium fast | 2024 | |
| 38 | Sirajuddin | Pakistan |
2 January 2002 | Emerging | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2024 | |
| 40 | Blessing Muzarabani |  Zimbabwe |
2 October 1996 | N/A | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | 2024 | Full replacement for Jamie Overton |
| 56 | Mohammad Rohid |  United Arab Emirates |
29 September 2002 | Supplementary | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2024 | |
| 85 | Zahid Mahmood | Pakistan |
20 March 1988 | N/A | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | 2024 | Partial replacement for Kieron Pollard; Full replacement for Saad Baig |
| 92 | Mir Hamza | Pakistan |
10 September 1992 | Silver | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2022 | |
| 99 | Imran Tahir | South Africa |
27 March 1979 | N/A | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | 2023 | Full replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi |
| Fawad Ali |  Oman |
30 April 1993 | N/A | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2024 | Partial replacement for Tim Seifert | |
Team Management and Coaches
The Karachi Kings have a team of people who manage the club and coach the players.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner | Salman Iqbal ARY Digital Network |
| President | Wasim Akram |
| CEO | Tariq Wasi |
| Director | Haider Azhar |
| Head Coach | Phil Simmons |
| Assistant coach | Muhammad Masroor |
| Batting coach | Ravi Bopara |
| Fast bowling coach | Steven Kirby |
| Fielding coach | Vacant |
| Physio | Imtiaz Khan |
| Trainer | Ibrahim Qureshi |
| Performance analyst | Mohsin Sheikh |
| Masseur | Muhammad Irfan |
| Head of marketing | Shehzad Hassan Khan |
| Media manager | Rai Azlan |
Team Captains Over the Years
Here's a list of the players who have been captain of the Karachi Kings:
| 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 |
Team Performance in PSL
This table shows how the Karachi Kings have performed in each Pakistan Super League season:
| 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 | 95 | 36 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37.89 | 1 title |
- Tie+W means a match was tied but the Kings won in a tie-breaker (like a Super Over).
- Tie+L means a match was tied and the Kings lost in a tie-breaker.
- The success rate percentage does not count matches that had "no result."
Head-to-Head Records Against Other Teams
This table shows how the Karachi Kings have played against other teams in the PSL:
| Opposition | Years Played | Matches | Won | Lost | Tie&W | Tie&L | No Result | Win Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Team Statistics: Top Players
Babar Azam has scored the most runs for the Karachi Kings with 2,398 runs. Mohammad Amir has taken the most wickets with 63.
Most Runs Scored
| 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-present | 38 | 813 | 71* |
| Colin Ingram | 2018–2021 | 26 | 613 | 127* |
Most Wickets Taken
| 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 |
See also
- Karachi Kings–Lahore Qalandars rivalry
- List of Pakistan Super League anthems
