News by “Sana Ullah”
The Karachi Kings lost to the Peshawar Zalmi by a slim margin of two runs in an exciting match at the National Bank Stadium on Monday, despite Muhammad Irfan Khan’s impressive 31 runs.
The defeat, although disappointing, showcased the Karachi Kings’ competitive spirit and determination on the field. The team put up a strong fight throughout the match, with notable contributions from players like Babar Azam and Imad Wasim. Despite the loss, the Karachi Kings can take pride in their overall performance and look forward to bouncing back in their upcoming matches.
The exhilarating win propelled Peshawar Zalmi to the summit of the PSL 9 standings with 13 points from 10 matches, closely followed by Multan Sultans with 12 points, who are yet to conclude their final group-stage fixture.
In pursuit of 148 runs, the home team managed 145/5, with Tim Seifert’s steady 41 and Irfan’s aggressive 39.
Karachi Kings got off to a solid start with James Vince and Seifert forming a crucial 61-run partnership.
However, Naveen-ul-Haq’s breakthrough in the ninth over, dismissing Vince for 21, disrupted their momentum.
Subsequently, Karachi Kings lost Shan Masood (0) and Seifert in quick succession, as Peshawar Zalmi fought back.
With the scoreboard at 68/3 in 10.3 overs, Irfan teamed up with Shoaib Malik to stabilize the innings.
The duo added 49 runs before Naveen struck again to remove Malik in the 18th over.
Despite losing wickets, Irfan kept the chase alive with a boundary in the penultimate over, leaving Karachi Kings needing 17 off the final over.
Anwar Ali’s back-to-back boundaries brought Kings close, but Aamer Jamal’s precise yorker on the last ball sealed the win for Zalmi.
Irfan Niazi’s spirited 39 off 26 balls, including seven boundaries, was in vain as Zalmi’s bowlers held their nerve in the tense finish.
Naveen led the bowling attack for Peshawar Zalmi with figures of 2/22, supported by Wood, Jamal, and Ayub, who claimed one wicket each.
Opting to bat first, Peshawar Zalmi got off to a promising start but managed an average total despite Babar Azam’s half-century.
Azam and Saim Ayub’s solid opening stand propelled Zalmi to 54 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
However, Zahid Mahmood’s breakthrough in his first over halted their progress, dismissing Saim for 19.
Babar Azam led from the front, reaching his fifty before falling in the same over.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s dismissal further dented Zalmi’s innings, but Rovman Powell’s late cameo boosted them to a competitive total.
For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali, Arafat Minhas, Daniel Sams, and Zahid Mahmood claimed one wicket each.
