Karachi Kings Wins Close Contest Against Peshawar Zalmi
KARACHI: Khushdil Shah delivered a match-winning all-round performance, claiming three wickets and following it up with an unbeaten 23 to guide Karachi Kings to a thrilling two-wicket triumph over Peshawar Zalmi in the 11th fixture of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Chasing a modest target of 148 on a tricky surface, Karachi Kings clinched victory on the third ball of the final over as Hasan Ali drove Hussain Talat for a boundary through the leg side.
However, the Kings’ chase began in the worst possible fashion when opener Tim Seifert was dismissed on the very first ball — trapped by a sharp in-swinger from Luke Wood.
The English pacer struck again in his next over to remove fellow countryman James Vince, who managed just 11 from nine balls, further denting the Kings’ top order.
Captain David Warner tried to anchor the innings and found brief support from Saad Baig (9), with the pair adding 23 runs before the young Ali Raza dismissed Baig.
Warner went on to build crucial partnerships with Muhammad Irfan Khan (10), Mohammad Nabi (14), and later Khushdil Shah. He was eventually dismissed by Wood in the 17th over, leaving the Kings needing 29 off the remaining 21 balls.
Warner top-scored with a well-paced 60 off 47 deliveries, which included eight boundaries.
After his departure, Karachi suffered another mini-collapse, losing two quick wickets and slumping to 133/8 in 18.1 overs. But Khushdil Shah kept his composure and steered the Kings home with a vital 23 not out from 17 balls, striking three fours.
For Zalmi, Luke Wood starred with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3/28. Ali Raza chipped in with two wickets, while Arif Yaqoob and Alzarri Joseph claimed one each.
Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi opted to bat first on a sluggish pitch and posted 147/8 in their 20 overs, largely built around captain Babar Azam’s gritty innings.
The visitors had a stuttering start as Saim Ayub departed early in the third over for just four runs. Babar then stitched a brief partnership with Tom Kohler-Cadmore (7), who was dismissed by Khushdil in the seventh over.
The Zalmi skipper added a steady 31-run stand with Mohammad Haris before he too fell to Khushdil’s clever bowling. Babar was Zalmi’s top scorer with 46 from 41 balls, laced with seven boundaries.
Hussain Talat and Haris then attempted to steady the ship with a 37-run stand, but Talat was undone by a slower delivery from Aamir Jamal after scoring 18 off 16 with three fours.
His dismissal triggered a collapse as Zalmi lost four quick wickets, including Haris, and were eventually restricted to 147/8. Haris contributed a quick 28 off 21 balls with four boundaries.
For Karachi, both Khushdil Shah and Mir Hamza bagged three wickets apiece, while Aamir Jamal and Abbas Afridi picked up one each.
With this win, Karachi Kings moved up to second place on the PSL 10 points table, overtaking Lahore Qalandars. They now sit on six points after five games, while Peshawar Zalmi hold on to fourth position.
