Karachi Kings and Islamabad United qualify; PZ must beat Lahore to stay alive

Karachi Kings clinched a crucial win over Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs in a high-octane encounter that saw big partnerships, fielding lapses, and a late flourish with the bat. With this result, Karachi and Islamabad United secured their spots in the PSL playoffs. Zalmi still have a shot but must beat Lahore Qalandars in their final group game.

Toss and Team News

Karachi Kings skipper won the toss and chose to bat first on a flat track. Peshawar Zalmi were without Alzarri Joseph, who missed the game due to injury, weakening their bowling lineup. Karachi fielded a settled side with no major changes.

Karachi Kings XI:

David Warner, James Vince, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Nabi, Khushdil Shah, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Khan, Aamer Yamin, Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi, Mir Hamza

Peshawar Zalmi XI:

Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Rovman Powell, Haseebullah Khan, Hussain Talat, Aamer Jamal, Maaz Sadaqat, Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil, Salman Irshad

Warner and Vince Take Control

Karachi’s innings was anchored by a dominant partnership between David Warner and James Vince, who made full use of the powerplay. Zalmi’s bowling lacked both discipline and bite—an absent Joseph was sorely missed. Misfields, no-balls, and dropped catches added to Zalmi’s misery as Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi capitalized on the strong platform to push the total past 220.

Zalmi’s death bowling unraveled in the final two overs, conceding 52 runs, which ultimately made the difference.

Babar’s Classy 94 in Vain

In response, Saim Ayub came out blazing, scoring a rapid 47 to give Peshawar early momentum. Babar Azam played a captain’s knock, holding the innings together with a fluent 94, but a lack of middle-order support meant the asking rate kept climbing. Despite late cameos from Maaz Sadaqat and Hussain Talat, Zalmi were left needing a miracle.

Maaz impressed with a fearless 22 off 9 balls, including a six and three boundaries in the final overs, but Aamer Jamal and Hasan Ali held their nerve to close out the match with Karachi winning by 23 runs.

Captain’s Take

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi Captain):
"Think we leaked extra runs. They scored more than par. When we won’t execute plans and bowl according to field, then these things will happen. There’s always room for improvement. Warner and Vince formed a great partnership. We had the belief to chase the total but we needed partnerships in the middle. We were ahead at the end of 10 overs but couldn’t maintain momentum."

Man of the Match
David Warner was named Man of the Match for his brilliant knock of 84 runs from 51 balls. He gave Karachi Kings a strong start, setting the tone with a powerful start that laid the foundation for Karachi Kings' commanding total. His innings not only gave Karachi early momentum but also demoralized Zalmi’s bowlers, who never quite recovered.

What’s Next?

Karachi Kings and Islamabad United are through to the playoffs. Peshawar Zalmi must beat Lahore Qalandars in their final league match to stay in contention.