Kings Secure Victory Over Zalmi in PSL 10 Thriller

KARACHI: In a captivating match held at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi Kings clinched a narrow two-wicket victory against Peshawar Zalmi in the 11th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10. Khushdil Shah’s impressive all-round performance, featuring a three-wicket haul and a crucial unbeaten 23-run innings, propelled his team to victory.

Chasing a target of 148 on a challenging pitch, the Kings secured the winning runs with three balls to spare in the final over. Hasan Ali sealed the win with a boundary off Hussain Talat.

Early Setbacks for Karachi Kings

Karachi Kings faced an early setback when opener Tim Seifert was dismissed for a golden duck on the very first ball, courtesy of Luke Wood’s skillful delivery. Wood continued his dominance, dismissing James Vince in his subsequent over, leaving the Kings in a precarious position.

Warner then partnered with Saad Baig, building a vital 23-run stand before Ali Raza removed the emerging batter. Warner then engaged in important partnerships with Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Khushdil Shah before Wood dismissed him in the 17th over, with 29 runs still needed.

Warner emerged as the top scorer for the Kings, scoring 60 off 47 balls, punctuated with eight boundaries.

Following his departure, the Kings stumbled, losing quick wickets and falling to 133/8 in 18.1 overs. However, Khushdil remained composed, guiding his team to victory with a crucial 23 off 17 balls, including three boundaries.

Wood was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi, claiming three wickets for 28 runs. Ali Raza supported him with two wickets, while Arif Yaqoob and Alzarri Joseph took one wicket each.

Zalmi’s Innings

After being put in to bat, Zalmi managed to reach 147/8 in their 20 overs, despite a resilient innings from skipper Babar Azam.

Zalmi’s innings began poorly, with Saim Ayub departing in the third over for just four runs.

Babar then formed a partnership with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who scored seven runs before being dismissed by Khushdil Shah. Babar then added 31 runs with Mohammad Haris before falling to Khushdil.

Babar Azam was the highest scorer for Zalmi, scoring 46 off 41 balls, with seven boundaries.

Hussain Talat and Haris then combined to add 37 runs for the fourth wicket until Talat was dismissed by Aamir Jamal. Talat scored 18 off 16 balls, including three boundaries.

Following his dismissal, Zalmi suffered a collapse, losing four wickets quickly, including Haris, and were reduced to 136/8 in 19 overs.

Haris scored 28 off 21 balls, including four boundaries.

For Kings, Abbas and Khushdil claimed three wickets each, while Jamal and Mir Hamza took one wicket each. With this victory, Karachi Kings now occupy the second spot in the PSL 10 standings, replacing Lahore Qalandars. Karachi now has six points from five matches, while Peshawar Zalmi remain fourth.