Karachi Kings Edge Out Peshawar Zalmi in Last-Over Thriller at National Stadium

KARACHI: Karachi Kings clinched a nail-biting two-wicket victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the 11th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 on Monday at the National Stadium, Karachi.

Chasing a modest target of 148, the Kings held their nerve in a dramatic last over to secure their second win of the tournament, moving up to third on the points table.

Earlier, Karachi Kings won the toss and elected to field first. Peshawar Zalmi’s innings struggled to gain momentum, finishing at 147/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Babar Azam was the top scorer for Zalmi with a composed 46 off 41 balls, anchoring the innings after early losses.

Saim Ayub (4) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (7) fell cheaply, while Mohammad Haris chipped in with 19 runs. The middle order also failed to fire, with Hussain Talat contributing 18 and Mitchell Owen managing just five. Alzarri Joseph provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 24 off 13 balls to push Zalmi past the 140-run mark.

For Karachi Kings, Abbas Afridi and Khushdil Shah starred with the ball, bagging three wickets apiece. Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamal also chipped in with a wicket each.

In response, the Kings endured some tense moments in the chase but held on to cross the finish line in the final over with just two wickets in hand. Despite regular breakthroughs by the Zalmi bowlers, crucial contributions throughout the middle and lower order ensured the Kings’ successful chase.

Karachi’s latest win boosts their position in the standings with two victories from four matches. Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi remain in fifth place with just one win from their three games.

In their previous outing, Karachi had suffered a six-wicket defeat to Islamabad United, who continue to dominate the tournament with four wins in four matches.

Read more: Karachi Kings opt to field first against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 10 encounter

Both teams fielded unchanged line-ups from their previous games.

Peshawar Zalmi Playing XI: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hussain Talat, Mitch Owen, Abdul Samad, Luke Wood, Alzarri Joseph, Arif Yaqoob, Ali Raza.

Karachi Kings Playing XI: Tim Seifert (wk), David Warner (c), James Vince, Saad Baig, Khushdil Shah, Irfan Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza.

As PSL 10 progresses, both teams will be looking to sharpen their form ahead of the knockout stages, with Karachi finding some rhythm and Peshawar looking to bounce back strong in their upcoming fixtures.