PES VS KAR MATCH 27

Alright then, in this pressure-packed thriller, Karachi Kings come out on top and punch their ticket to the playoffs. Peshawar Zalmi, on the other hand, will exit the stage, a fall no one saw coming. But the tournament rolls on. Next up, we’ve got a Super Sunday doubleheader on 18th May. First, it’s Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators at Rawalpindi. That one will kick off at 10.30 AM GMT. Multan are out of the playoffs race, while Quetta are table-toppers and already through. Later in the day, Lahore Qalandars take on the bruised Peshawar Zalmi, also in Rawalpindi. The second match will begin at 3 PM GMT. But as you know, join us an hour before the first ball for all the toss and all the pre-match build-up. Until then, take care and bye. Cheers! Adios!

David Warner is PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his impressive match-winning inning.

Earlier in the first inning, Karachi Kings put on a dominant batting display in a must-win clash after being sent in to bat first, piling up a massive 237/4 after a strong foundation laid by David Warner’s elegant 86 and James Vince’s fluent 72, highlighted by their 162-run partnership. Vince also crossed 12,000 T20 runs, marking a personal milestone. Despite a shaky start, Karachi recovered swiftly and exploded in the final overs, adding 52 runs in the last two. Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling lacked consistency, with Luke Wood being the lone standout, swinging the ball brilliantly to take two wickets. However, poor fielding and sloppy death bowling, including a costly last over due to a fielding restriction penalty, allowed Karachi to finish with a flourish and seize control of the match, which they eventually won in the end.

For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali was the warrior of the night, sharp, smart, and spot-on with his lines. He picked up key wickets and applied the brakes when Zalmi were eyeing a late comeback. Abbas Afridi chipped in with two wickets and some redemption after that early drop, and Mir Hamza bowled with control from the other end but suffered an unfortunate knee injury while trying to stop the ball off his own bowling. He left the field immediately, and his fitness will be a concern moving forward. The rest of the bowling attack had their ups and downs, conceding boundaries in patches but bouncing back with tighter spells. However, Karachi’s fielding was well below par, with dropped catches and sloppy misfields handing easy runs to the opposition. Heading into the playoffs, this is an area they’ll need to tighten up, as moments like these can tilt the fate.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore then joined Babar in the middle, and the duo tried to keep the chase alive with a 62-run stand. But the scoring rate kept climbing, and pressure crept in. Hasan Ali, with his ice-cold yorkers and crafty pace variations, made scoring in the middle overs almost impossible. Babar's innings was a mix of brilliance and bafflement - after a slow start, he reached his half-century and tried to pick up the pace with a couple of towering sixes. But it came too late. Despite his classy 94 off 49 balls, the tempo didn’t match the situation of the game, and he eventually got run out, ending Zalmi’s last big hope. The final overs were frantic but fruitless. Zalmi’s middle order swung hard, desperate for boundaries, but those hits weren't enough. In the end, they fell short by 25 runs.

Chasing a daunting target of 238 was always going to be a herculean task, and the pressure was too heavy to bear. Zalmi’s batters faltered, even though they were handed a couple of lifelines through dropped chances. But in the end, the climb was too steep, and they crumbled when it mattered the most. Their chase started on the back foot as Mohammad Haris was sent packing in the third over by Hasan Ali, dealing an early blow. But the skipper, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub showed some resistance, stitching a steady partnership of 77 runs, giving Zalmi some shape in the innings. At the 10-over mark, they were 98/1, decent, but not blazing as per the required run rate. Soon after, Abbas Afridi struck back, dismissing Saim for 47, and he had his redemption as he had earlier dropped Babar on just 3 runs, one of many what-ifs for Zalmi tonight.

Karachi Kings have sealed a crucial 23-run win over Peshawar Zalmi in this high-pressure, must-win run-fest contest that resumed after a brief break due to security concerns. After a massive 16th over by Aamer Jamal, where Babar Azam hammered 23 runs, Zalmi fans had a flicker of hope. But that late surge wasn’t enough to pull off this mammoth chase. With this victory, Karachi Kings have qualified for the playoffs alongside Islamabad United, both joining Quetta Gladiators, which they have done for the first time since 2021, while Peshawar Zalmi face the heartbreaking reality of being on the verge of getting knocked out of the playoffs, a massive fall from grace for a side with such a rich legacy.

Four! That is pulled through the on side. The ball races to the fence in no time.

1 run, that is pulled away through the fine leg region for a single.

Four! That is pulled through the on side. The ball races to the fence in no time.

2 runs, that is just a mere push for a couple of runs.

Six! Up, up and away! The batter has lofted this clean as a whistle and it has cleared the boundary.

1 run, that is pulled away through the square leg region for a single.

1 run, that is pulled away through the square leg region for a single.

Four! That is a supreme insult to a bowler. The ball is driven straight back to where it came from.

No run. Play and a miss! The batter wasn't quite sure how to play that one.

1 run, the batter lofts this in the air and gets a run for the team.