After three wins in four matches (the other being abandoned), Karachi Kings got a taste of what a defeat felt like when they suffered an eight-wicket loss to 2016 winners Islamabad United on Sunday evening.
There was a notable absentee in Karachi line-up with top wicket-taker Shahid Afridi ruled out with a knee injury although reports suggest he could be back in time for the play-offs.
Afridi has proven to be a key player, particularly with the ball, taking six scalps and with his absence, it has led to former Pakistan captain Muhammad Yousuf expressing his concern that Karachi could struggle.
But it shouldn’t be all doom and gloom for Mickey Arthur’s side.
Here, we look at three reasons why Karachi Kings should still be a force over the next three weeks.
Eoin Morgan to boost batting line-up
Karachi Kings’ batting line-up is set to be bolstered by the arrival of Eoin Morgan. Karachi have been without their talismanic batsmen due to his commitments with England’s ODI side in New Zealand, but from Sunday, he will surely add more fire power to their attack.
No player has shone with the bat on a consistent basis for Karachi despite their three wins.
Ravi Bopara, Khurram Manzoor and Babar Azam have all hit one half-century each with Colin Ingram and Joe Denly contributing effectively.
But Morgan could well be that man that can take the game away from the opposition. He’s done it before and continues to show his class as illustrated by his unbeaten 80 from 46 deliveries in the T20 against New Zealand recently.
Form of Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim and Tymal Mills
While Sunday’s margin of defeat suggested Shahid Afridi was badly missed, Karachi have enough quality within their bowlers to deal with his absence. There will be more responsibility falling on the shoulders of spinner and captain Imad Wasim to pick up the wickets. The 29-year-old has had three scalps so far and his last outing showed he has big boots to fill after going wicketless against Islamabad.
But Karachi are fortunate to have Mohammad Amir (four), English pacer Tymal Mills (five) and young Pakistani medium pacer Mohammad Irfan (five) who have been more successful this season. They have caused batsmen plenty of problems with their pace and swing and that should continue for the remainder of the tournament.
A man who has been at the helm for the last two editions of the PSL, Arthur has shown constant improvements to a Karachi side that finished fourth in 2016. Twelve months later, the South African guided his side to a third-place finish – and this year after five matches, they sit top of the table with Multan Sultans with three wins. Although there’s a long way to go, Athur possesses all the skills and knowledge to guide them to a first title. You just have to look at how Pakistan bounced back from their opening thrashing to India to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy triumph last year.