Jason Roy joins Karachi Kings for PSL 2026 as mid-season replacement

Karachi Kings have added Jason Roy to their squad for the remainder of PSL 2026 as a replacement for the UAE's captain Muhammad Waseem, who, alongside Khuzaima bin Tanveer, has been called up by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to play ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in Nepal.

Roy, 35, who is yet to officially announce his retirement from international cricket, is a PSL veteran. England's 2019 ODI World Cup-winning member has played six seasons of the Pakistan Super League, representing Lahore Qalandars (2016) and Quetta Gladiators (2017-2024).

"Known for his fearless striking and vast experience in the T20 circuit, Roy is no stranger to the PSL, where he has consistently been one of the most destructive overseas batters. His arrival is set to bolster the Kings' top order as the tournament enters its most critical phase," a statement by Kings on the acquisition of Roy read.

Roy has played a total of 38 PSL games and aggregated 1260 runs at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 146.51, including two centuries and eight half-centuries. His unbeaten 145 off 63 balls, which came while playing for Gladiators in PSL 2023 against Peshawar Zalmi, remains the highest individual score in the history of the marquee T20 tournament.

Roy has played 417 T20 matches and amassed 10574 runs at an average of 27.00 and a strike rate of 139.55. He has notched up six hundreds and 69 half-centuries in the format. His last competitive game was for Desert Vipers in the final of the previous edition of the ILT20, and he ended up on the winning side.

Meanwhile, Waseem struggled for fluency and could only manage to rack up 86 runs in the five games he played at an average of 17.20 and a strike rate of 117.80.  

Kings are currently at the fourth spot on the points table. They have aggregated six points with three wins and two losses in five games and have a net run rate (NRR) of -1.395.

Peshawar Zalmi are at the top of the ladder with 13 points after six wins in seven fixtures and a no result.