Peshawar Zalmi produced a commanding display, sealing a 159-run victory over Karachi Kings on Thursday, April 9. The result was built on a dominant batting effort featuring a century from Kusal Mendis and an unbeaten innings of 87 from captain Babar Azam. After posting a towering 246/3, Zalmi then tore through the chase to dismiss the Kings for just 87.
Quick facts
- Match: Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings — Thursday, April 9
- Zalmi’s total: 246/3 in 20 overs
- Key knocks: Kusal Mendis 109 and Babar Azam 87* (captain)
- Karachi’s chase: 87 all out in 16.1 overs
- Bowling impact: Abbas Afridi 2/55; Nahid Rana 3/7; Iftikhar Ahmed 3/9; Sufiyan Muqeem 3/18
- Result: Peshawar Zalmi won by 159 runs; they moved to second place on the points table
Karachi Kings chose to field first, and they made an early statement by striking in the opening over. Mohammad Haris was removed right away, giving the Kings a brief window of control. However, once Zalmi settled, that early breakthrough had little lasting effect as their batting pressure intensified from both ends.
By the halfway mark, Peshawar raced to 102/1, with wickets staying under control and boundaries coming at regular intervals. Mendis brought up his century in the 16th over, but the momentum didn’t fully carry into the next phase as he was dismissed immediately after reaching the milestone.
Karachi also managed to send Michael Bracewell back cheaply, yet the dismissal only opened the door for Abdul Samad to accelerate. Samad took charge with a quickfire 40 off just 12 balls, striking four sixes and three fours during the final two overs.
Karachi’s chase collapses
When Karachi went in to chase, their start faltered quickly and they slipped to 8/3. Iftikhar Ahmed was central to the early damage, delivering two breakthroughs that disrupted any plan of building partnerships. From there, the innings never gained traction, with the required run rate climbing while wickets continued to fall.
By the 11th over, Karachi were struggling at 65/6, and the chase effectively ended as they lost their remaining wickets. They were bowled out for 87 in the 17th over, handing Zalmi a decisive win.
Multiple bowlers shared the load in the finish. Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Sufiyan Muqeem each took three wickets, while Shoriful Islam contributed one. For Karachi, the most telling sign of their difficulties was that Azam Khan, the top scorer, could only manage 25 from 27 balls.
Brief scores: Peshawar Zalmi 246/3 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 109, Babar Azam 87*; Abbas Afridi 2-55) beat Karachi Kings 87 all out in 16.1 overs (Azam Khan 25; Nahid Rana 3-7, Iftikhar Ahmed 3-9, Sufiyan Muqeem 3-18) by 159 runs.
