PSL 2018 – Match 27: Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings

It was a must win match for Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings also needed the win to keep them out of the danger zone. Both teams had a fair share of power hitters and this match was surely going to be exciting.

2.   Peshawar won the toss and elected to bat first. Kamran Akmal along with Mohammed Hafeez opened the innings for Zalmi. Hafeez was sent up the order to showcase his skills as an opener but he failed to do so as Usman Khan shattered his stumps in the 2^nd over.

3.   Kamran Akmal and Dwayne Smith did some rebuilding and brought Zalmi on 44-1. However, Karachi was not going to hold back as the superstar Shahid Afridi took the wicket of the in-form of Smith and sent him back to the pavilion.

4.   Akmal then shared an additional partnership of 34 with Wessels to bring Zalmi on top. Karachi needed a wicket and Bopara ended this partnership as Wessels holed out to Usman Khan.

5.   In walked the Pakistani emerging player Saad Nasim who had been in top form in the T20 domestic league of Pakistan. He along with Akmal rained destruction on the Karachi bowlers as the pair made 37 runs in 17 balls.

6.   Kamran should have gotten a century but the blazing Usman Khan was in no mood to let the wicket keeper batsman reach his milestone. As, he forced the batsman to play a rash shot and gift his catch to Bopara who happily accepted it.

7.   In walked the Zalmi’s skipper Darren Sammy and he was the last wicket that Karachi needed to prevent a bigger target. But there was no stop to the carnage of Sammy as he and Saad shared 42 run partnership in only 18 balls. This partnership also proved to be match winning in the end.

8.   Sammy remained unbeaten on 36 from 15 balls. His innings comprised of 2 fours and 4 towering sixes. This helped Zalmi post a score of 181 on the board.

9.   Karachi’s innings went underway as their openers Babar Azam and Joe Denly settled on the crease. But, apart from Babar Azam no batsman resisted the Zalmi bowlers as they tore through 4 batsman and only conceded 12 runs in the process.

10.     Karachi were now 4-62 and they needed some rebuilding to do so Morgan sent his prized possession Shahid Afridi who gave Karachi some hope. The batsman made 26 off only 8 balls after perishing to Dawson and practically destroying Karachi’s hopes of winning this match.

11.     Rizwan could take his side home but he had to bat explosively and responsibly. Both of which he could not manage to do as Karachi only managed to score 137 in 20 overs.

12.     The highlight of the 2^nd innings were the Zalmi bowlers as except for Sameen Gull every bowler got a wicket. Liam Dawson in particular, bowled a match changing spell as Zalmi won comfortably in the end.

Babar Azam

JL Denly

CA Ingram

EJG Morgan (c)

RS Bopara

Shahid Afridi

Mohammad Rizwan

Usama Mir

Mohammad Irfan(4)

Mohammad Amir

Usman Khan

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