Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by four wickets in a gripping low-scoring clash of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
Zalmi comfortably chased down the 146-run target, losing six wickets in the final over, thanks to solid contributions from skipper Babar Azam and Kusal Mendis.
The chase began on a shaky note as opener Mohammad Haris fell for 11 off six deliveries, including a four and a six, after playing a loose shot off Maheesh Theekshana, leaving the team at 17-1 in 1.5 overs.
Babar and Mendis then stabilised the innings, forging a crucial partnership and guiding the team past the 50-run mark to lay the foundation for the chase.
However, the 49-run stand was broken when Saim Ayub dismissed Mendis, who scored 27 off 23 deliveries, including one four and two sixes, leaving Zalmi at 66-2 in 8.2 overs.
Michael Bracewell joined Babar at the crease and the duo kept the scoreboard ticking, adding a valuable partnership that took the total past the 100-run mark.
Saim struck again to claim his second wicket, dismissing Bracewell for 25 off 19 deliveries, which included two fours and a six, ending the 38-run stand and reducing Zalmi to 104-3 in 13.4 overs.
Babar Azam was dismissed on the final delivery of the 15th over as Hassan Khan ended his innings of 43 off 37 deliveries, which featured six fours.
Zalmi came under pressure when Mohammad Ali removed Farhan Yousaf for 15 off 13 deliveries, including two fours, followed by Hunain Shah, who dismissed Abdul Samad for one, leaving the side at 125-6 in 17.1 overs.
With 14 required off the final over, Hunain Shah conceded the remaining runs as Iftikhar Ahmed finished unbeaten on 15 off 10 deliveries, including a four and a six, while Aamer Jamal chipped in with six runs to seal the victory.
Iftikhar was named Player of the Match for his all-round brilliance, claiming four wickets and scoring a crucial 15 off 10 balls under pressure.
Batting first, Kingsmen were bundled out for 145 in 18.2 overs. The innings got off to a promising start as openers Maaz Sadaqat and Saim Ayub added valuable runs early on.
However, the 26-run opening stand was broken in the third over when Iftikhar dismissed Sadaqat for 17 off eight balls, which included three boundaries.
Iftikhar struck again in his second over, removing two established batters. Saim Ayub fell for 14 off 15 deliveries, with two fours, followed by Usman Khan, who was out for a duck, leaving Hyderabad struggling at 33-3 in 4.3 overs.
Iftikhar continued his fiery spell, claiming another wicket as he clean bowled Sharjeel Khan for two off five balls, further intensifying the pressure on the Kingsmen.
Skipper Marnus Labuschagne and Kusal Perera then combined to steady the innings, putting together a crucial 50-run partnership that helped Hyderabad cross the 50-run mark.
The duo batted sensibly, taking the score past 100 before the partnership was broken by Sufiyan Muqeem, who dismissed Labuschagne for a run-a-ball 27, which included three boundaries, leaving the team at 116-5 in 14.1 overs.
Perera shone with the bat, raising his third PSL fifty with a well-paced and impactful innings. However, Muqeem struck again in the final stages, dismantling the Kingsmen’s lower order.
In his last over, he removed Irfan Khan Niazi for nine, Kusal Perera for 58 off 35 balls, which included five fours and two sixes, and finally Maheesh Theekshana for a duck.
Hunain Shah became the ninth Kingsmen wicket as he was run out by Farhan Yousuf with a direct hit without facing a delivery, while Hassan Khan was the last batsman dismissed by Aamer Jamal after scoring nine runs.
Iftikhar and Sufiyan were the standout bowlers for Zalmi, sharing eight wickets between them. Iftikhar claimed 4/21 in his four overs, while Sufiyan took 4/32 in his four-over spell. Aamer Jamal also contributed with one wicket.
