KARACHI: Bowlers and Shoaib Malik guided Peshawar Zalmi to a comprehensive nine-run win against Karachi Kings in the eleventh match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Chasing a target of 174 runs, Babar Azam played a sensational inning and scored 90 runs off 63 balls with the help of 12 fours and one six despite the Kings batters’ early collapse,
No other batter could score even 35 runs against a strong Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling attack. Emerging star Mohammad Umar picked up three wickets, while Shoaib Malik, Hussain Malik and Usman Qadir took a scalp each.
Peshawar’s innings
Wahab Riaz-led Zalmi had set a 174-run target for Karachi Kings after they were put to bat first by the Kings. Zalmi looked set to post a huge total in the powerplay but once Umaid Asif removed the dangerous Hazratullah Zazai in the sixth over, the run rate slowed down.
Peshawar’s batting faced another setback after Asif removed Kamran Akmal in the 10th over. Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik looked all set to capitalise on the start given by the openers but Aamir Yamin removed Ali to put a dent in Peshawar’s batting.
When Ali’s wicket fell, Zalmi were 103/3 with seven overs left in the innings. However, a 59-run partnership between Malik and Australian Ben Cutting helped Zalmi recover.
It was Umaid Asif, once again, who broke the partnership by dismissing Cutting in the last over of the Zalmi innings. Peshawar ended their innings for 173/4 courtesy of Malik’s 52 from 28.
Playing XI
Karachi Kings: Babar Azam (c), Sharjeel Khan, Ian Cockbain, Mohammad Nabi, Sahibzada Farhan, Lewis Gregory, Imad Wasim, Aamir Yamin, Umaid Asif, M Talha Khan, M Imran Jr
Peshawar Zalmi: Kamran Akmal, Hazratullah Zazai, Haider Ali, Hussain Talat, Shoaib Malik, S Rutherford, Ben Cutting, Wahab Riaz (c), Salman Irshad, Usman Qadir, M Umar
