Lahore Qalandars were penalized five runs for ball tampering during their Pakistan Super League 2026 match against Karachi Kings. The penalty was imposed after the referees ruled that the Qalandars had changed the condition of the ball before the final end of the match.
In a match which Karachi Kings won with three balls to spare, the incident took place after 19 overs of the second innings. The Kings needed 14 runs to win, with Haris Rauf playing the last over for the Qalandars. Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is already embroiled in another controversyHaris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman were involved in a brief interaction in the bowler’s run-up during which each player handled the ball. Umpire Faisal Afridi watched the exchange and called for ball control.
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After a close examination and discussion between umpires Faisal Afridi and Sharfuddoulou, the officials concluded that the Qalandars had deliberately changed the condition of the ball. As a result, Karachi Kings were awarded five penalty runs and the ball was immediately replaced.
Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi expressed his displeasure at the decision which reduced the target for the Kings to nine runs. The penalty significantly influenced the course of the match. Khushdil Shah was dismissed on the first ball of the final over, followed by a wide delivery from Rauf. Abbas Afridi then hit a four and a six to ensure a dramatic victory for Karachi Kings.
WHAT DID SHAHEEN SHAH SAY AFRIDI AFTER THE GAME?
While Qalandars captain Shaheen was furious with the calls from the umpires, he decided not to delve too much into it during the post-match presentation. Temper said they will discuss it after they review the video.
“Actually, I don’t know if the ball was tampered with. We’ll see it on camera and discuss it. The five-run penalty hurts, but I can’t say anything right now,” Shaheen said.
With this win, Karachi Kings maintain their perfect start to the season with two wins from two matches. Lahore Qalandars have now won one and lost one in their two matches.
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Published on:
30 March 2026 01:41 IST
