RAWALPINDI (Kashmir English): Babar Azam’s superb 94 went in vain as Karachi Kings beat Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs in a high-scoring PSL thriller at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.
Zalmi’s chase began with young Saim Ayub providing early impetus with a 47 off 31 balls, striking five boundaries and a couple of sixes.
However, they suffered an early blow when Hassan Ali dismissed Mohammad Haris for 9. He was caught by James Vince after a brief but explosive appearance.
From there, captain Babar Azam anchored the innings with sublime stroke play.
His 94 off just 49 deliveries was laced with 10 boundaries and 4 sixes that kept 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, Peshawar Zalmi started losing momentum in the final overs with Kohler-Cadmore (20 off 15) and Max Bryant (7 off 5) failing to accelerate as required.
The turning point came in the 18th over when skipper 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 eclipsed Zalmi’s momentum and they eventually managed 214/5 in their 20 overs, falling short by 23 runs.
PSL playoffs
With this victory, the Karachi Kings sealed their spot in the PSL playoffs.
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
