Zalmi Stay Unbeaten with Another Commanding Victory Over Kings
LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi continued their dominant run in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, registering their eighth consecutive win with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a competitive 183, Zalmi cruised to the target in 18.5 overs, losing just three wickets along the way. The successful chase was driven by outstanding performances from Kusal Mendis and Farhan Yousaf, who led the charge after an early setback.
Zalmi got off to a positive start with James Vince and captain Babar Azam playing attacking cricket upfront, building a brisk opening stand. However, Hasan Ali struck to remove Vince for a quick 16, ending the partnership at 37. Soon after, Abbas Afridi sent back Babar for 25, leaving Zalmi at 45-2 inside the powerplay.
From there, Mendis took control of the innings, batting with authority and maintaining a strong scoring rate. He brought up another impressive half-century and kept Zalmi firmly in the hunt. The innings saw a brief hiccup when Aaron Hardie was dismissed cheaply, reducing the side to 95-3.
Mendis then found a reliable partner in Farhan Yousaf, and the pair stitched together a vital partnership to steady the chase. As the innings progressed, Yousaf shifted momentum with aggressive strokeplay, ensuring there were no further complications.
He eventually guided Zalmi home in style, completing his maiden PSL fifty and finishing unbeaten on 54 off 35 balls, while Mendis played a match-defining knock of 80 from 43 deliveries.
Earlier, Karachi Kings posted 182-9 after opting to bat first, with Jason Roy leading the scoring and Azam Khan providing strong support late in the innings.
The Kings began steadily through David Warner and Roy, but Ali Raza broke the opening stand by dismissing Warner for 11. Salman Ali Agha added some quick runs alongside Roy before falling to Aaron Hardie, leaving Karachi at 71-2.
Roy continued to dominate, reaching yet another PSL half-century while finding support from Reeza Hendricks during a steady partnership. However, Sufiyan Muqeem dismissed Hendricks to halt their progress.
Azam Khan then injected momentum with an aggressive cameo, combining with Roy for a crucial stand that lifted Karachi past 150. Azam scored a quickfire 35 before being dismissed, while Roy’s superb innings of 85 came to an end shortly after.
In the closing stages, Ali Raza delivered a sensational over, picking up multiple wickets including a hat-trick to restrict Karachi below the 190 mark.
