For the second time in as many games, Babar Azam’s fifty went in vain as the Karachi Kings defeated Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets due to teamwork at the bowling and batting ends. Despite Babar’s 51-ball 72, the Karachi Kings were able to restrict Peshawar Zalmi to 154 and won their first match in 16.5 overs with seven wickets remaining.
Pitch report and toss update
However, Gaddafi Stadium is a batter’s paradise. There is not much assistance for the bowlers on this type of surface. But as the game goes on, the surface does help the spinners a little bit, but the pacers have to work their way out in Lahore. So, the Karachi Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Babar Azam held the one end despite the Zalmi kept losing wickets at regular intervals
Earlier, Zalmi had been asked to bat first, but despite Babar Azam playing well at one end, they lost wickets frequently and were unable to build the early momentum they would have liked. Shoaib Malik removed Saim Ayub from the action with the first ball, while Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Muhammad Haris both fell during the powerplay.
While everything was going on, Babar reached 10,000 T20 runs and regularly hit boundaries, scoring six of them in the first six overs to help his team reach 42/3. Rovman Powell gave Babar some much-needed help as they contributed 68 runs and set up for Zalmi nicely.
Karachi Kings bowlers ran through the Zalmi’s middle order
Babar reached a 37-ball fifty with his alone six of the innings, which came off Tabraiz Shamsi in the 12th over. Powell also hit a maximum off Mohammad Nawaz in the following over. Asif Ali began in a promising manner, with Zalmi on 135/4 after 16 and hoping to capitalize in the final four overs, despite Powell getting out to Nawaz.
But after that, they collapsed utterly, losing their final six wickets for a mere eighteen runs, with Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza taking three wickets apiece. Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza were the top bowlers for the Karachi Kings, as they grabbed three wickets each, supported by Sams taking a couple of wickets. Malik and Nawaz also chipped in with one wicket each.
Masood and Akhlaq got the Kings off to a positive start
The pursuit got off to a good start with Shan Masood and Muhammad Akhlaq, but the former was dismissed by Luke Wood in the third over. After taking 17-year-old pacer Mohammad Zeeshan to task, Akhlaq hit three fours and a six in a fourth over that resulted in 19 runs.
At 48/2, though, Wood put an end to Akhlaq’s stay as well, and the Kings halted the powerplay. Following a calm few overs, James Vince and Shoaib Malik took the attack, establishing a fifty-run partnership that kept the chase moving.
Their partnership pushed the Karachi Kings to 91/2 at 12 overs before Malik was stumped off Waqar Salamkheil. That brings Keiron Pollard to the crease.
Keiron Pollard’s fireworks got the Karachi Kings a comprehensive win
Kieron Pollard hit a six on the very next ball after the dismissal of Malik, beginning an onslaught that left Zalmi baffled. Following two boundaries each for Vince and Pollard in the fourteenth over, the West Indian hit two fours and three sixes in an over that scored 27 runs off Salamkheil, which enabled the Karachi Kings to get closer to the target.
Pollard concluded with four fours and as many sixes for an unbeaten 21-ball 49, while Vince, who hit the winning boundary, was not out on 38 off 30. Luke Wood was the only bowler who was economical and took two wickets. Salamkheil also took one wicket but gave away 54 runs in his spell, and the youngster Zeeshan also got smashed for 48 runs in his spell.
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