Babar Azam’s dazzling 94 went in vain as Peshawar Zalmi fell short in a high-scoring thriller, with Karachi Kings clinching a 23-run victory to secure their spot in the playoffs
Zalmi’s chase began with flair, as young Saim Ayub provided early impetus with a fluent 47 off 31 balls, striking five boundaries and a couple of sixes. However, they suffered an early blow when Mohammad Haris was dismissed for 9 by Hasan Ali, caught by James Vince after a brief but explosive cameo.
From there, Babar Azam took control. Combining classical elegance with aggressive intent, the captain anchored the innings with sublime strokeplay. His 94 off just 49 deliveries was laced with 10 boundaries and 4 sixes, keeping Zalmi in the hunt throughout. He shared crucial partnerships—first with Saim Ayub and later with Tom Kohler-Cadmore—to keep the chase alive.
Despite the solid contributions, Zalmi began to lose momentum in the final overs. Kohler-Cadmore (20 off 15) and Max Bryant (7 off 5) failed to accelerate meaningfully.
With the required run rate climbing steadily, the turning point came in the 18th over when Babar Azam was run out—just six runs short of his century—following a mix-up, thanks to sharp fielding by Aamer Jamal and wicketkeeper Saad Baig.
Babar’s dismissal effectively ended Zalmi’s resistance, as the remaining batters struggled to maintain the momentum. Peshawar Zalmi eventually managed 214/5 in their 20 overs, falling short by 23 runs.
With this victory, the Karachi Kings sealed their spot in the playoffs.
Earlier, After being sent in to bat first, the Kings suffered an early setback as Ben McDermott fell for a golden duck on the very first ball. However, captain David Warner and James Vince quickly steadied the innings with a spectacular counterattacking partnership.
Zalmi were unable to capitalise on the early breakthrough, as both Vince and Warner hammered their bowlers for the next 15 overs, crafting a 162-run stand — the second-highest partnership in PSL history — with both batters reaching their half-centuries.
The Kings looked well-set, reaching 162 for 1 in 15 overs, but the momentum briefly dipped when Vince was caught behind off Ali Raza after a fluent 72 off 42 balls. Irfan Khan followed soon after, dismissed for just 2 by Luke Wood.
Warner’s stellar knock of 86 off 50 balls, laced with 11 fours and 2 sixes, came to an end shortly after — caught in the deep off Arif Yaqoob. Despite the mini-collapse, the platform was perfectly set for Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi to accelerate.
With the score at 167/4 in 16.1 overs, the duo launched a ferocious late onslaught, adding an unbeaten 70 runs off just 23 balls to power the Kings to a massive 237/4.
Khushdil smashed 43 off 15 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes), while Nabi chipped in with 26 off just 10 (1 four, 3 sixes), capping off a destructive finish.
Among the bowlers, only Luke Wood stood out with a disciplined spell of 2 for 19 in 4 overs. The rest struggled — notably Ali Raza, who conceded 60 runs in his 4 overs despite taking a wicket, and Ahmad Daniyal, who went wicketless for 66 in his full quota.
Karachi Kings: David Warner (Captain), Ben McDermott, James Vince, Saad Baig (wk), Khushdil Shah, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hassan Ali, Mir Hamza
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (Captain), Mohammad Haris (wk), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler Cadmore, Hussain Talat, Max Bryant, Maaz Sadaqat, Luke Wood, Ahmed Daniyal, Arif Yaqoob, Ali Raza
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