RAWALPINDI, MAY 17: Karachi Kings defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs, successfully defending a massive target of 238 runs in the 27th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
After the victory, the David Warner-led Kings qualified for the PSL 10 playoffs, alongside defending champions Islamabad United.
Chasing a daunting 238-run target, Zalmi could only manage 214/5 in their allotted 20 overs and thus succumbed to a massive defeat.
Zalmi got off to a brief flying start to the pursuit as their new opening pair of Mohammad Haris (nine) and Saim Ayub stitched a brisk 30-run stand, culminating with the former’s dismissal in the third over.
Ayub was then involved in an important 77-run partnership for the second wicket with skipper Babar until falling victim to Abbas Afridi in the 11th over.
He scored 47 off 31 deliveries with the help of five fours and two sixes.
Babar then shared one-sided partnerships with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Max Bryant until having an agonising end to his courageous knock as he got run out just seven shy of a well-deserved century.
He remained the top-scorer for Zalmi with a 49-ball 94, laced with 10 fours and four sixes.
His dismissal had reduced Peshawar Zalmi to 184/5 in 17.5 overs, needing a further 55 runs in 13 deliveries.
All-rounders Maaz Sadaqat and Hussain Talat could only add 30 runs to the total, scoring 19 and 12 not out respectively.
Abbas was the pick of the Kings’ bowlers for taking two wickets for 48 runs in his four overs, while Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza made one scalp apiece.
Put into bat first, the Kings registered a formidable total of 237/4 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of a marathon second-wicket partnership between Warner and Vince.
Karachi Kings, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as Luke Wood cleaned up debutant Ben McDermott on the first delivery of the innings.
Following the early stutter, Vince joined Warner in the middle, and together they launched an astounding recovery by putting together 162 runs for the second wicket until Ali Raza dismissed the former in the 15th over.
Vince smashed 11 fours and a six on his way to a 42-ball 72.
The Kings then lost another wicket in the next over when Wood dismissed in-form Muhammad Irfan Khan for two.
Arif Yaqoob gave Zalmi another massive breakthrough in the 17th over when he got Warner caught at deep mid-wicket.
The left-handed opener remained the top-scorer for the Kings with 86 off 50 deliveries, studded with 11 fours and two sixes.
The back-to-back wickets, however, did not dent the Kings’ march towards a big total as all-rounders Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi added valuable runs at a brisk rate as they knitted an unbeaten 70-run partnership.
Khushdil was the core aggressor of the stand with a blistering 43 not out from 15 deliveries, while Nabi made an unbeaten 26 off 10 balls.
Wood was the standout bowler for Zalmi with two wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs, while Arif and Ali chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Tribute paid to armed forces
The league resumed on Saturday with players and match officials honouring the armed forces in a show of solidarity at a ceremony attended by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Before the start of the game, they paid tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives in defence of the country.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry were also present in the stadium to watch the PSL match.
Renowned singers Sahir Ali Bagga and Asrar Shah delivered electrifying performances to honour the bravery of Pakistan’s armed forces, followed by a fireworks display.
The cricket board also announced that the tournament’s three stages would be named in honour of the army, navy, and air force.
The tribute comes in the wake of the Pakistani armed forces’ response to Indian aggression amid recent regional tensions.
Recent Indian hostilities toward Pakistan led to the suspension of both PSL 10 and the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).
