By our correspondent
RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings rode on excellent batting from David Warner (86), James Vince (72) and Khushdil Shah (43 not out) to qualify for the playoffs when they conquered Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs in their vital clash of the HBL PSL X which resumed on Saturday night following a few days halt because of conflict between Pakistan and India.
Kings moved to 12 points with a game against Islamabad United in hand.
The outcome also benefitted holders Islamabad United as they also made it to the playoffs with ten points to their credit.
Now Zalmi ( 8 points) and Lahore Qalandars (9 points) will be pitted against each other on Sunday (tomorrow) at the same venue for the final playoff spot.
Quetta Gladiators with 13 points have already qualified.
Set to chase 238 Zalmi were restricted to 214-5.
Babar Azam top-scored 49-ball 94.
Babar, who completed his second fifty of the season off 34 balls, was seen in superb touch. Babar, dropped by Abbas Afridi on three, capitalized on the opportunity and went on to play a fine knock. He smashed ten fours and four sixes sixes in his fantastic innings before getting run out in the end.
Babar also hammered Aamer Jamal for two sixes and two fours in the 16th over of the innings which yielded 23 runs.
After losing Mohammad Haris (9) cheaply, Babar added 70 runs off 43 balls for the second wicket association with Saim Ayub who was removed by Abbas Afridi for 31-ball 47, held by James Vince in the deep.
Saim, dropped by stumper Saad Baig off Hasan Ali in the ninth over, smashed five fours and two sixes.
Babar then put on quick 62 runs for the third wicket association with Tom Kohler-Cadmore who fell for 15-ball 20, having hit one six.
Abbas Afridi was the pick of the bowler with 2-48. Mir Hamza (1-33) and Hasan Ali (1-30) were the other successful bowlers.
Earlier skipper David Warner (86) and James Vince (72) shared a record partnership while Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nabi engineered a lusty hitting in the end to enable Karachi Kings to post a huge total of 237-4 after being put into bat on a batting-friendly track.
Warner and Vince, the two accomplished batsmen, shared 162 for the second wicket association to take their team to a decent total after they lost Ben McDermott l (0) off the first ball of the match from Luke Wood.
This surpassed the previous best second wicket stand of 148 runs which had been made by Multan Sultans’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan against Karachi Kings on March 3, 2024. This is also the second highest stand for any wicket in the PSL history.
James Vince was prolific in his approach as he was timing the ball extremely well on a wicket which was full of runs.
Warner, on the other hand, crafted his innings well and he also managed some solid strokes which kept the oppositions unsettled throughout.
It was young pace sensation Ali Raza who broke this vital stand in the 15th over of the innings by removing Vince who edged a delivery to stumper Mohammad Haris which lifted a bit more.
Vince, who brought in his third fifty of the season off 29 balls, smashed 11 fours and one six in his 42-ball superb knock.
Warner, also departed soon after Vince’s fall. It was leggie Arif Yaqoob (1-29) who had Warner, held in the deep by Saim Ayub for a fine 50-ball 86.
Warner, who scored his second fifty of the season off 31 balls, smashed 11 fours and two big sixes in his captain knock.
And in the end it was Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi (26 not out) and Khushdil Shah (43 not out) whose swashbuckling knocks took Kings to a big total.
They managed 52 runs in the last two overs and that took Kings to a seemingly safe position.
Khushdil smashed four fours and three sixes in his fiery 15-ball unbeaten 43. He also hammered young medium pacer Ahmed Daniyal for two huge sixes and two fours in the final over which yielded 24 runs.
Nabi remained not out on a ten-ball 26 with three sixes and one four. The Afghanistan’s all-rounder smacked Ali Raza for three successive sixes in the penultimate over of the innings which produced 28 runs.
Khushdil also hit Ali for a six in this over which turned out to be the most expensive over of the innings.
The duo added 70 runs off just 23 balls for the fifth wicket unbroken partnership.
Kings scored 57-1 in the powerplay. They reached 100-1 in ten overs and were162-2 in 15 overs. In the last five overs they made 75 runs.
Luke Wood was the most impressive bowler for Zalmi who bowled with great accuracy and finished with 2-19 in his quota of four overs
Ahmed Daniyal remained the most expensive bowler as he leaked 66 runs in his four overs while Ali Raza finished with 1-60 in his quota of four overs.
Saim Ayub conceded 27 runs in his two overs.
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