Sports Desk
KARACHI: Muhammad Irfan Khan’s gutsy 31-run knock went in vain as Peshawar Zalmi registered a narrow two-run victory over Karachi Kings in the 29th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 here at National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Opting to bat first, Peshawar Zalmi managed an average total on the board despite a solid start to their innings.
Their in-form opening pair Babar Azam and Saim Ayub looked in control in the early phase of the in-nings and led Zalmi to 54 for no loss at the conclusion of the batting powerplay.
Shan Masood’s decision to bring Zahid Mahmood into the attack bore fruits as the leg-spinner struck in his first over to break the threatening partnership by dismissing Saim.
The left-handed opener scored a cautious 19 off 18 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam was joined briefly by Mohammad Haris and Haseebullah Khan as both the young batters had a short stay at the crease. The skipper led Peshawar Zalmi’s batting charge from the front against a disciplined bowling attack of Karachi Kings and amassed his half-century with authority by smashing Mahmood for a boundary in the 14th over.
But he perished in the same over while attempting a quick double, courtesy of an exceptional fielding effort from Mahmood.
Babar remained the top-scorer for Zalmi with 51 off 46 deliveries, including an impressive tally of five fours and a six.
His dismissal halted the flow of runs for Zalmi, putting their batters under pressure.
Consequently, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, in a desperate attempt to hit big, fell for a scratchy nine off 14 deliveries, bringing Zalmi down to 113/5 in 16.5 overs.
Later, Rovman Powell’s swashbuckling cameo, which lasted in the final over, bolstered Zalmi to a de-cent total.
He smashed three boundaries on his way to an 18-ball 30.
For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali, Arafat Minhas, Daniel Sams and Zahid Mahmood made one scalp each.
