Half-centuries from Kusal Mendis and Farhan Yousaf, along with a four-wicket haul from Ali Raza, powered Peshawar Zalmi to a dominant victory over Karachi Kings as they maintained their strong run in PSL 11.
Chasing a target of 183, Zalmi completed the job in 18.5 overs with only three wickets down, thanks to commanding contributions from Mendis and Farhan.
Mendis and Farhan Take Control of the Chase
The pursuit began on a steady note as James Vince and captain Babar Azam provided early momentum with a fluent opening stand.
However, Hasan Ali broke through by removing Vince for 16 off 10 balls, bringing an end to the 37-run partnership. Soon after, Abbas Afridi dismissed Babar Azam for 25 off 19 balls, reducing Zalmi to 45/2 in 5.2 overs.
Mendis then took charge of the innings, scoring at a brisk rate as he registered his fourth PSL half-century. The side briefly stumbled at 95/3 when Aaron Hardie was dismissed for five by Khushdil Shah.
From there, Mendis found a reliable partner in Farhan Yousaf, and the pair stitched together a crucial 50-run stand to steady the chase. As the innings progressed, Farhan accelerated, striking boundaries regularly as Zalmi moved past the 150-run mark with ease.
Farhan finished the game in style, reaching his maiden PSL fifty and sealing the victory with a boundary. He remained unbeaten on 54 off 35 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes, while Mendis top-scored with an impressive 80 off 43 deliveries, including five fours and four sixes. Mendis was named Player of the Match for his match-winning effort.
Roy and Azam Lead Karachi’s Batting Effort
Earlier, Karachi Kings posted 182/9 in their 20 overs, driven by strong contributions from Jason Roy and Azam Khan.
The innings began with David Warner and Jason Roy looking to build a platform, but Ali Raza struck early to dismiss Warner for 11, ending a 35-run opening stand.
Salman Ali Agha added useful runs alongside Roy before being dismissed by Aaron Hardie for 12, leaving Karachi at 71/2 in 7.4 overs.
Roy continued to dominate, reaching his ninth PSL half-century while keeping the scoreboard ticking. He shared a steady partnership with Reeza Hendricks, who was later dismissed for 13 by Sufiyan Muqeem.
Azam Khan then joined Roy and injected momentum into the innings with aggressive strokeplay. The pair added 63 runs to push Karachi past 150 before Azam was dismissed for 35 off 19 balls by Iftikhar Ahmed.
Roy followed soon after, departing for a well-made 85 off 51 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, falling to Mohammad Basit.
Ali Raza’s Late Burst Seals the Advantage
In the closing stages, Ali Raza returned to deliver a decisive spell. He conceded 13 runs in the final over but also played a role in a run-out of Abbas Afridi before Khushdil Shah was dismissed hit-wicket on the next ball.
Raza then struck twice more, removing Shahid Aziz with a sharp yorker and completing his hat-trick by dismissing Hasan Ali on the final delivery.
His four-wicket haul ensured Karachi were restricted to 182/9, a total that proved insufficient against Zalmi’s strong chase.
