By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: An explosive unbeaten fifty from Kusal Mendis and a composed supporting knock by Farhan Yousaf propelled Peshawar Zalmi to a convincing seven-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in their HBL PSL 11 show at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a competitive target of 183, Zalmi reached 186-3 with seven balls to spare, stretching their points tally to 17 with a game in hand.
Mendis was the undisputed star of the chase, smashing 80 not out off just 43 deliveries. His innings, laced with five boundaries and four towering sixes, anchored the second half of the pursuit after Zalmi had slipped to 67-3 in the eighth over.
He found an able partner in Farhan Yousaf, who finished unbeaten on 58 from 36 balls. Together, the pair stitched an unbroken 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket, dismantling Karachi bowling attack with calculated aggression.
Earlier, Karachi Kings captain David Warner elected to bat first, a decision that initially seemed inspired by opener Jason Roy. The Englishman played a sensational lone hand, scoring 85 off 51 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes.
At 161-3 in the 18th over, the Kings appeared set for a total over 200. However, the dismissal of Azam Khan (35 off 19) triggered a stunning collapse. Peshawar’s Ali Raza turned the game on its head in the final over, claiming a hat-trick when he removed Khushdil Shah, Danish Aziz and Hasan Ali off his three successive deliveries. Karachi lost their final six wickets for just 21 runs, finishing on 182-9. Raza also became the youngest bowler to claim a hat-trick in the PSL history and seventh bowler to have achieved the milestone.
Raza was the pick of the bowlers with 4-41, while Aaron Hardie provided crucial control with 1-26 from his four overs.
In reply, Zalmi’s chase stuttered early as Hasan Ali and Abbas Afridi removed dangerous Babar Azam (25) and James Vince (16). When Khushdil Shah bowled Hardie for five, Karachi sensed an opening. However, Mendis and Yousaf’s clinical partnership ensured there were no further hiccups, reaching the target in the 19th over.
The loss left Karachi Kings at six points from eight matches.
Summarised scores:
Karachi Kings: 182-9 (20 overs): Jason Roy 85 (51), Azam Khan 35 (19), Ali Raza 4-41, Aaron Hardie 1-26
Peshawar Zalmi: 186-3 (18.5 overs): Kusal Mendis 80* (43), Farhan Yousaf 58* (36), Shahid Aziz 0-1, Khushdil Shah 1-40
Result: Peshawar Zalmi won by seven wickets.
Kusal Mendis (Man of the match)
