Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi – PSL Season 3

Peshawar Zalmi have won the toss and opted to bat first against Karachi Kings. Karachi have lost four of the five games against Peshawar, two in the first PSL by three runs and five wickets and two in the PSL 2 by seven wickets and 24 runs.

Their only win came over Zalmi came last year, by nine runs. The Kings were clinical with the ball in the first game but will want their batsmen to give a better account of themselves. It should be a good contest.

Karachi Kings mainatined early momentum and defied history with a five wicket victory over old nemesis and defending champions Peshawar Zalmi on the fourth day of the Pakistan Super League on Sunday.

Mohammad Amir and Shahid Afridi took two wickets apiece to restrict Zalmi to 131-9 before Karachi Kings achieved the modest target in 19.4 overs. Imad Wasim hit the winning six after only two were scored off the first three balls with Mohammad Rizwan falling off the third ball to raise excitement.

Dwayne Smith hit a fighting 51-ball 71 with five sixes and four boundaries to give some hope of fight for Zalmis, who have now lost two of their three games.

This becomes Karachi Kings only second victory against Zalmis in six games, having lost four.

Although Khurram Manzoor (six) fell at the total of 17 but Joe Denly (29) and Babar Azam 928) steadied the chase with a 41-run second wicket stand.

Peshawar’s leg-spinner Ibtisam Sheikh then chipped in with wickts of Azam and Colin Ingram (23) but the target was so little that Ravi Bopara (16) and Mohammad Rizwan (18) had almost sealed.

Peshawar owed their total to Smith who held on end and made amends for running out Ibtisam Sheikh and skipper Darren Sammy.

Karachi paceman Mohammad Amir jolted Peshawatr with double strikes, removing Kamran Akmal (14) and Tamim iqbal (11) in his two over spell but to karachi’s bad luck Amir suffered a back spasm and could not complete his quota of four overs.

Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi removed Mohammad Hafeez (seven) and Umaid Asif (seven) before Peshawar had three run outs as the innings faltered.

Peshawar could have been bowled out for under 100 after being 79-8 but Smith played a wise knock, adding 52 for the last two wickets and 48 in the last four to give a fillip to the struggling innings.

Smith first added 31 for the ninth wicket with Wahab Riaz (eight) and then added another 21 for the last wicket as last man Mohammad Asghar was a mere spectator with no score to his credit. Smith hit two sixes in the final oevsr to bolster the total.

Karachi Kings will meet Lahore in the only match on Monday before the league shifts to Sharjah on Wednsday.