RAWALPINDI: Babar Azam’s 94 went in vain as Karachi Kings defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs in the 27th game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 on Saturday.
Chasing a mammoth 238-run total, the Zalmi were restricted to 214 for five, losing the game by 23 runs.
With the victory, Kings became the second team to qualify for the playoffs after Quetta Gladiators.
Zalmi had a strong start to their innings as Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub stitched a quick 30-run stand.
The wicketkeeping batter was dismissed in the third over after scoring nine runs.
Ayub was then joined by skipper Babar Azam and the two shared a 77-run partnership.
However, the partnership ended in the 11th over when Saim Ayub was removed after scoring 47 off 31 balls.
No other batter could provide support to the Peshawar Zalmi skipper, who remained firmed at the other end.
His valiant innings came to an agonising end when he was run out on 94 off 49 balls, with the help of 10 fours and four sixes.
All-rounders Maaz Sadaqat (19) and Hussain Talat (12) remained unbeaten as Peshawar Zalmi managed to score 214 over the loss of five wickets.
For Karachi Kings, Abbas Afridi was the pick of the Kings’ bowlers, taking two wickets, while Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza picked up a wicket each.
Earlier, fifties from David Warner and James Vince, followed by Khushdil Shah’s fiery unbeaten 43, powered the Kings to 237 against Zalmi.
Put into bat first, the Kings scored 237/4 in their allotted 20 overs, on the back of a 162-run partnership between David Warner and James Vince.
The Kings were off to a dismal start as Luke Wood castled Ben McDermott on the first delivery of the innings.
Vince then joined Warner and the two took Kings to 162 runs until Ali Raza dismissed the former in the 15th over.
James Vince scored 72 off 42 balls, with the help of 11 fours and a six.
Irfan Khan became Wood’s second victim in the PSL 10 game after scoring just two runs.
Warner’s innings came to an end in the 17th over when he was dismissed by spinner Arif Yaqoob.
The Karachi Kings skipper made 86 off 50 deliveries, laced with 11 fours and two sixes.
Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi then stitched an unbeaten 70-run partnership.
Khushdil Shah scored an unbeaten 43 off 15 deliveries, while Nabi remained unbeaten on 26 off 10 balls.
Playing XIs
Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hussain Talat, Max Bryant, Maaz Sadaqat, Luke Wood, Ahmed Daniyal, Arif Yaqoob and Ali Raza.
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Ben McDermott, James Vince, Saad Baig, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza.
It is worth noting here that PSL 10 was suspended for nine days due to rising tensions between Pakistan and India.
Read more: Six overseas stars confirm availability for Karachi Kings in HBL PSL 10
After both countries agreed on the ceasefire, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the resumption of the tournament from May 17.
As per the revised schedule, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host a double-header on May 18, with Multan Sultans taking on Quetta Gladiators in the afternoon, while Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars will face off in the evening encounter.
Defending champions Islamabad United and Karachi Kings will lock horns on May 19 in the last group match of the PSL 10.
The tournament will then move to Lahore, where the first Qualifier is scheduled on May 21.
Gaddafi Stadium will host the Eliminator 1 and Qualifier 2 on May 22 and May 23, respectively.
The final of the showpiece event is scheduled on May 25 at the same venue.
