Batting first after losing the toss, Lahore Qalandars lost their first wicket in the third over when Mirza Baig was dismissed by Anwar Ali for four. Shafique came out to partner Fakhar Zaman at No.3.

Both batters built a steady partnership for the second wicket. Fakhar was the aggressor while Shafique held the innings together at one end. The left-hander was dismissed in the 11th over after crossing 50, with the team score reading 86.

Shafique then took on the mantle of scoring from the left-hander as Shai Hope (nine off 11) and Shaheen Afridi (one off three) struggled at No.4 and 5.

During his third-wicket partnership with Hope, Shafique played an extraordinary shot off Anwar Ali in the 14th over. With both fine leg and third man inside the circle, he premeditated and shuffled across the off stump in an attempt to lap the ball over short fine leg.

[breakout id=”0″][/breakout]

Ali saw him move and adjusted his line to wide outside off, making it impossible for Shafique to get it over fine leg. However, displaying brilliant presence of mind, Shafique somehow slice-ramped the length ball, which was now almost in his bodyline, over short third for a boundary.

Real-time, it might have looked like a top-edge, but the way Shafique adjusted his wrists to play it over the off-side instead of the leg, clearly showed that it was deliberate. His head movement following the shot showed it had gone exactly where he intended.

He reached his fifty in the 16th over and was dismissed in the 17th having made 55 off 39. Lahore ended up with 177-5, which the Karachi Kings chased down on the last ball with three wickets to spare.

Watch Abdullah Shafique improvise slice-ramp over short-third:

Innovation! 😳

Abdullah Shafique trying something new ✨#HBLPSL9 | #KhulKeKhel | #KKvLQ pic.twitter.com/R5FaHOHBnJ

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 9, 2024