In a match that ebbed and flowed until the very end, Karachi Kings held their nerve to clinch a tense two-wicket win over Peshawar Zalmi with just three balls to spare, wrapping up the Karachi leg of PSL X on a high at the National Bank Stadium on Monday night.
Chasing a modest target of 148, the Kings made hard work of it, losing wickets at regular intervals. But it was the calm head of David Warner, who brought up a landmark 13,000 T20 runs, and a clutch finish from Khushdil Shah that steered them home under pressure.
Opening the innings, Warner batted with maturity, crafting a fluent 60 off 47 balls with eight boundaries. He shepherded the chase through the middle overs, anchoring key partnerships while wickets tumbled around him.
Karachi’s chase had a stuttering start as Tim Seifert was dismissed first ball by Luke Wood, who then also sent back James Vince in a fiery opening spell. Despite early blows, Warner and youngster Saad Baig attempted to rebuild before Ali Raza broke through to leave Kings three down in the powerplay.
After Mohammad Irfan Khan’s run-out halted another mini-recovery, Warner fell in the 17th over with still work to do. But Khushdil stood firm, showing his growing maturity with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 17, and guiding Karachi across the line with two vital boundaries in the final over.
Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi posted 147-8 after being asked to bat. Babar Azam top-scored with a composed 46 off 41, laced with seven fours. However, after his dismissal — trapped LBW by Khushdil — the innings lost direction.
Mohammad Haris added a brisk 28 off 21, but Zalmi never found the big finish they hoped for, especially after a tight spell from Mohammad Abbas Afridi, who claimed 3 for 30. Khushdil, too, starred with the ball, returning 3 for 20 in his three overs.
A late cameo from Alzarri Joseph (24* off 13) added respectability to the score, but it wasn’t enough on a surface offering grip and bounce under lights.
Result: Karachi Kings beat Peshawar Zalmi by 2 wickets
Player of the Match: Khushdil Shah (Karachi Kings)
Next Fixture: Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars – Tuesday, 8pm, Multan Cricket Stadium
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