In a dramatic finish at their home ground, Karachi Kings secured a nail-biting two-wicket win over Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League clash. Chasing 149, David Warner’s gritty 60 anchored the innings, while Khushdil Shah and Hasan Ali held their nerve in the final over to guide the Kings to victory.
The Kings’ chase began shakily as Luke Wood struck early, removing Tim Seifert first ball and dismissing James Vince soon after. Youngster Ali Raza joined the action by uprooting Saad Baig’s stumps, putting early pressure on Karachi. Despite early setbacks, Warner’s resilience and a quickfire cameo by Mohammad Nabi helped the Kings stabilize.
Though Zalmi tightened their grip in the middle overs, Warner’s calculated aggression against Saim Ayub and Ali Raza brought the required run-rate back under control. With 44 runs needed off the last six overs, Karachi looked poised, but Warner’s dismissal at 60 off 47 reignited Zalmi’s hopes. Abbas Afridi and Aamer Jamal fell cheaply, setting up a tense finale.
With only nine runs needed in the final over and no specialist bowlers left for Zalmi, part-timer Hussain Talat was given the ball. Khushdil and Hasan capitalized, hitting boundaries that sealed a hard-fought win.
Earlier, Zalmi had posted 147 for 8, with Babar Azam top-scoring with 46. His innings, however, was scratchy and slow, facing 41 balls for his runs. Khushdil Shah shone with the ball too, taking 3 for 20, including the crucial wickets of Babar and Kohler-Cadmore. Despite a spirited cameo from Alzarri Joseph, Zalmi fell just short of a defendable total.
The Kings showed grit and composure, ensuring their campaign ends on a high note with a dramatic home-ground victory.