PSL: Another all-round performance for Ravi Bopara as Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars

Bopara had an astonishing all-round performance sealed a simple 27-run win over Lahore Qalandars, and a double in what is, traditionally, the prickliest city rivalry in the country, writes Osman Samiuddin.

Ravi Bopara of Karachi Kings playing a shot against Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League T20 match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. He scored not out 71 runs. ( Pawan Singh / The NationShow more

When Karachi Kings put their side together at the player draft for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) they packed their side with all-rounders. Did they know they would only need one, as long as his name was Ravi Bopara?

Bopara was their man of the moment again on Friday in Sharjah, as an astonishing all-round performance sealed a simple 27-run win over Lahore Qalandars, and a double in what is, traditionally, the prickliest city rivalry in the country.

Read more: Karachi Kings benefit from another Ravi Bopara half century and some wickets

Bopara first made a 43-ball 71, his second successive half century, before taking 6-14 to cripple a chase – of 179 – that had begun with a fair degree of confidence. It was only the third time in the history of all T20 cricket that a player scored a fifty and took six wickets: one of the other players to do it is Shakib Al Hasan, Bopara’s teammate in this league.

Bopara’s 67 on Thursday evening had almost sealed a remarkable win over Peshawar Zalmi; his 71 was a more calculated affair, which looked halfway through the match to have taken Karachi to a reasonable total, rather than a daunting one.

Read more: Peshawar Zamli captain Shahid Afridi still the main attraction in Sharjah as Karachi Kings fall just short

It was also fortunate in that he was dropped once. Lahore, in fact, were abysmal in the field, shelling a barely-believable eight catches. There is not supposed to be enough time in a 20-over innings to do that.

When he came on to bowl, he struck gold with his first ball; Lahore had just lost Cameron Delport off the last ball of the previous over, ending a confident opening stand of 98. At that stage, the start of the 12th over and with Chris Gayle still in, Lahore should have cruised it.

But Bopara induced a Gayle top-edge and then, three balls, later, dismissed Dwayne Bravo as well to put the brakes on. That sparked a massive collapse – Lahore losing eight for 53 and Bopara to the fore.

Four overs later, he was on a hat-trick, dismissing Mohammad Rizwan and Hammad Azam off successive deliveries. He was denied, but not for long, taking another wicket off the next ball.

By the time he dismissed Umar Akmal in his last over, the game was over and the only interest was in whether he could take another off his last four deliveries to become the first man to take seven wickets in the format.

He could not, but it hardly mattered. Bopara is now both the tournament’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker: grant him the keys to the city, or at least honorary citizenship. ​

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