It takes something special to own a night when the opposition scores 182. On Wednesday evening at Gaddafi Stadium, Peshawar Zalmi’s Ali Raza did exactly that.
The young pacer turned the closing stages of Karachi Kings’ innings into a personal highlight reel, rattling off three wickets in three consecutive balls to record one of the most dramatic hat-tricks in Pakistan Super League memory. Raza cleaned up Khushdil Shah, Shahid Aziz, and Hasan Ali in the final over — a breathtaking sequence that immediately rewrote the record books.
By the time the dust settled, Raza had finished with figures of 4 for 41 across his four overs — a performance that went far beyond the scorecard.
List of PSL hat-trick takers:
- Mohammad Amir (Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars, 2016)
- Junaid Khan (Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars, 2018)
- Imran Tahir (Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators, 2018)
- Mohammad Sami (Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings, 2019)
- Abbas Afridi (Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars, 2023)
- Akeal Hosein (Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi, 2024)
- Ali Raza (Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings, 2026)
History Written in Three Deliveries
Raza’s hat-trick carries weight for several reasons. He is now the youngest bowler ever to pull off the feat in PSL cricket, and the first Peshawar Zalmi player to do so. More broadly, he joins an exclusive club of just seven bowlers in the tournament’s eleven-year history to have taken a hat-trick — and only the fifth fast bowler among them.
The tradition dates back to the very first edition of the PSL, when Mohammad Amir achieved the milestone for Karachi Kings against Lahore Qalandars. Since then, pacers Junaid Khan, Mohammad Sami, and Abbas Afridi have followed suit, while spinners Imran Tahir and Akeal Hosein represent the turning contingent. Raza now stands alongside all of them.
Karachi’s Innings: Roy Holds the Fort
Before Raza’s historic send-off, Karachi Kings had spent most of their 20 overs building toward a challenging target. They finished on 182 for 9 — a competitive total, though one constructed through individual brilliance rather than collective fluency.
The platform was laid by opener Jason Roy, who once again proved why he remains one of the most dangerous stroke-makers in franchise cricket. Roy and David Warner gave Karachi a composed start before Raza intervened early, angling one back to bowl Warner for 11 off 13 deliveries and end a 35-run opening partnership.
Salman Ali Agha came and went — removed by Aaron Hardie for 12 off 9 balls with the score at 71 for 2 — but Roy kept ticking. He reached his ninth PSL half-century with the assurance of a batter in complete control, adding a useful stand alongside Reeza Hendricks before Sufiyan Muqeem broke that pairing, sending Hendricks back for 13 with Karachi on 98 for 3.
The innings needed a spark, and Azam Khan delivered it in his own unmistakable style. The big-hitting wicketkeeper blasted 35 off just 19 balls, helping Roy put on 63 runs at a furious clip as the score surged past 150. Iftikhar Ahmed finally ended Azam’s cameo, but by then the damage was done.
Roy’s dismissal — caught off Mohammad Basit in the death overs for a magnificent 85 off 51 balls, laced with 11 fours and two sixes — briefly threatened to deflate the innings. Yet Karachi’s lower order held enough together to reach 182 for 9 at the final whistle.
It was a fine total. But on a night Ali Raza chose to make history, the scoreboard almost felt secondary.
Read More: Gaddafi Stadium Witnesses Ali Raza’s Historic Hat-Trick as Kings Put Zalmi Under Pressure
