Kusal Mendis struck an unbeaten 80 off 43 balls and shared a decisive 119-run partnership with Farhan Yousaf as Peshawar Zalmi chased down 183 with seven wickets and seven balls to spare against Karachi Kings in the 32nd match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday evening.
Earlier, 18-year-old Ali Raza had torn through the Kings’ tail with a hat-trick in the final over to restrict them 182 for nine.
Peshawar Zalmi continued their unbeaten run with eight wins from nine matches and remain atop the standings with 17 points, while Karachi Kings remain at seventh with six points to their name and two matches more to play.
In pursuit of a steep total, Peshawar Zalmi’s chase got off to a solid start with a 37-run opening stand before Babar Azam departed inside the powerplay off Mohammad Abbas Afridi for 25 off 19 balls featuring four fours and one six.
Hasan Ali struck in the next over when James Vince (16, 10b, 2x4s, 1×6) feathered an outside edge behind to Azam Khan, reducing Zalmi to 45-2. This time he pipped Shaheen Shah Afridi from the most wicket-takers list in HBL PSL history by going to 137.
Aaron Hardie lasted just six balls for five before Khushdil Shah bowled him with an arm ball that skidded past the bat as Peshawar lost momentum, finding themselves on 67 for three in 7.3 overs.
Mendis and Farhan came together with Zalmi needing 116 off 75 balls and put on an unbroken 119-run partnership off 69 balls that sealed the contest.
Mendis, who survived a dropped chance off Zahid Mehmood in the 10th over, reached his fourth half-century of the season off 30 balls and dominated the spinners with classic strokeplay, hitting five fours and four sixes.
With 493 runs in eight innings this season, Mendis is now within striking distance of Fakhar Zaman’s record for most runs in a single HBL PSL season — 588 runs in 13 matches in HBL PSL 2021-22. Mendis also bagged his third player of the match award in the ongoing HBL PSL season, while this was his 41st T20 half
Farhan, who led Pakistan at this year’s ICC U19 World Cup, matched him blow for blow, bringing up his maiden HBL PSL half-century with a massive six over long on and finishing unbeaten on 58 off 36 balls with five fours and three sixes. Farhan sealed the win with a four sliced over cover point off Hasan as Zalmi reached the target with seven balls to spare and seven wickets in the bag.
Batting first, Karachi Kings’ innings unravelled spectacularly in the final over as Ali produced a spell of devastating pace bowling. With Kings well-placed at 161-3 in 17.5 overs, the last six wickets tumbled for a mere 21 runs.
Abbas was run out off a wide in the 20th over before Ali completed the historic hat-trick across the final three legitimate deliveries; Khushdil Shah was dismissed hit wicket for 12 off seven balls, Shahid Aziz was castled by a block-hole delivery he could not lay bat on and Hasan had his stumps shattered by a 149.1 kph full delivery.
Ali, who finished with 4-41 in four overs, became the youngest player at 18 years to claim a hat-trick in HBL PSL and the youngest Pakistani to achieve the feat in T20 cricket, eclipsing Mohammad Hasnain’s effort as a 19-year old against Sri Lanka in 2019.
Earlier, Karachi Kings opening batters Jason Roy and David Warner put on 35 for the opening wicket before Ali made the first breakthrough in the fifth over, clean bowling Warner (11, 13b, 2x4s).
Salman Ali Agha struck two fours in his brief stay of 12 off nine balls before Aaron Hardie had him caught at deep fine leg with Kings 71 for two in 7.4 overs.
Reeza Hendricks managed 13 off 16 balls before falling to the tournament’s current leading wicket-taker Sufyan Moqim’s wrong-un, which he edged to Mohammad Basit at short third with Kings 98-3 at the halfway mark.
It was at this juncture that Azam joined Roy and the pair stitched a brisk 63-run stand.
Roy, who brought up his 70th T20 half-century off 30 balls, continued to find the boundary with regularity while Azam launched a devastating assault as he struck three fours and three sixes in his 35 off 19 balls, before holing out to Farhan at long on off Iftikhar Ahmed. It was Farhan’s ninth catch of the tournament; the most by an outfielder so far this season.
Roy fell shortly after, top-scoring with 85 off 51 balls laced with 11 fours and two sixes, caught by James Vince as Karachi found themselves 164 for five in the 19th over.
Scores in brief:
Match 32 – Peshawar Zalmi beat Karachi Kings by seven wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Karachi Kings 182-9, 20 overs (Jason Roy 85, Azam Khan 35; Ali Raza 4-41)
Peshawar Zalmi 186-3, 18.5 overs (Kusal Mendis 80 not out, Farhan Yousaf 58 not out, Babar Azam 25)
Player of the Match: Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi)
