Peshawar Zalmi produced a dominant display to hand Karachi Kings the heaviest defeat in PSL history, cruising to a 159-run win in Karachi. A brilliant century from Kusal Mendis and an unbeaten 87 from Babar Azam powered Zalmi to 246 for 3, before their bowlers dismantled Kings for just 87 in 16.1 overs.
Both sides entered the contest undefeated this season, but while Zalmi carried momentum from their win over Hyderabad Kingsmen, Karachi struggled to find rhythm after a week-long break.
Kings captain David Warner misread the surface, describing it as a “day five” pitch, and his side compounded their problems with lapses in the field. Mendis was handed a reprieve early, and several scoring opportunities were allowed to slip as Zalmi capitalised fully.
Mendis and Babar build record partnership
The match was defined by a record-breaking 191-run stand between Mendis and Babar, the highest partnership in PSL history. After losing Mohammad Haris off the second ball, the pair quickly settled and countered any early pressure with fluent strokeplay.
They combined classical shot-making with controlled aggression, driving, cutting and flicking with precision to guide Zalmi to 66 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Mendis reached his half-century in 26 balls, while Babar followed with a 32-ball fifty.
During his innings, Babar also became the fastest player to reach 12,000 T20 runs, achieving the milestone in 338 innings, five fewer than Chris Gayle. He reached the landmark with a six off Khushdil Shah.
Mendis dominated the partnership, contributing 109 runs, and brought up his century in just 48 deliveries, registering the fastest hundred by a Zalmi batter in PSL history.
Late surge lifts Zalmi to record total
With the foundation firmly in place, Zalmi accelerated further in the latter stages. A 13th over worth 18 runs off Adam Zampa took them to 150 for 1, setting the stage for a big finish.
Abdul Samad then delivered a rapid cameo of 40 off 12 balls, striking three sixes off Abbas Afridi in the penultimate over and finishing strongly against Mir Hamza with three fours and a six in the final over. His late burst propelled Zalmi to their highest-ever PSL total of 246.
Karachi felt the absence of Hasan Ali, who missed the match due to fever.
Zalmi bowlers seal dominant win
Karachi Kings’ chase never gained traction. Zalmi struck early, removing Warner and Muhammad Waseem within the first seven balls. Salman Agha followed soon after, leaving Kings at 8 for 3 in the third over.
There was little resistance from that point onward as the batting line-up collapsed under pressure. Karachi were bowled out for 87, recording the lowest PSL total at the venue.
Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Sufyan Muqeem shared the spoils with three wickets each, ensuring a comprehensive victory for Zalmi.
