PSL 2025 Karachi Kings registered a thrilling two-wicket victory over Peshawar Zalmi in a close contest at the National Stadium on Monday, with all-rounder Khushdil Shah emerging as the star of the show. His outstanding performance with both bat and ball was instrumental in guiding Karachi to their third win of the season.
PSL 2025: Khushdil Shah Shines as Karachi Kings Edge Past Peshawar Zalmi in Nail-Biting Finish
In PSL 2025 After winning the toss, the Kings opted to field first. Peshawar Zalmi, batting on a slow surface that offered uneven bounce, struggled to find rhythm early in their innings. Openers Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore failed to make an impact, falling cheaply and leaving the visitors in early trouble.
Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris attempted to rebuild the innings with a steady 31-run partnership during the middle overs. However, Babar’s stay was cut short when he was dismissed leg-before by the in-form Khushdil Shah. This key breakthrough slowed Zalmi’s progress.
PSL 2025: Mohammad Haris continued to build the innings with Hussain Talat as they pushed past the 100-run mark. Just as the innings seemed to be gaining momentum, Abbas Afridi delivered a superb spell, taking three important wickets and derailing Zalmi’s plans in the death overs. Despite the late flurry of dismissals, West Indian pacer Alzarri Joseph’s late cameo an unbeaten 24 off 13 balls, including two boundaries and a six boosted Peshawar’s total to a competitive 147/8 in their 20 overs.
In reply, PSL 2025 Karachi Kings also had a shaky start. Tim Seifert and James Vince were both sent back to the pavilion within the first three overs. With the chase becoming tricky on a sluggish wicket, it was up to the experienced David Warner to anchor the innings. Warner, showing great awareness of the conditions, played a calculated innings. He rotated the strike smartly and capitalized on loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Why Pressure Still On as Wickets Fall In PSL 2025?
Warner found support in Saad Baig, Irfan Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and eventually Khushdil Shah. The middle order ensured Karachi stayed in the chase, although wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, keeping the pressure on the hosts.
The turning point came when Warner was bowled by Luke Wood in the 17th over. With Kings still needing 29 runs to win, the game was wide open. Peshawar seized the momentum, removing Abbas Afridi and Aamer Jamal in quick succession. However, Khushdil Shah, showing nerves of steel, held his ground and kept the Kings in the hunt.
With nine runs needed from the final over, Zalmi took a surprising decision to hand the ball to part-time medium pacer Hussain Talat rather than one of their frontline bowlers. The move backfired. Khushdil calmly guided the first delivery for a boundary past backward point. He rotated the strike on the next ball, allowing Hasan Ali to face the crucial moment.
Hasan, facing just his third delivery, dispatched a short ball to the boundary, sealing a dramatic win for Karachi Kings with three balls to spare.
In PSL 2025 Khushdil Shah was deservedly named Player of the Match for his all-round heroics taking 3 wickets for 20 runs and scoring an unbeaten 23 under pressure.
Match Summary
Peshawar Zalmi: 147/8 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 46, Mohammad Haris 28; Khushdil Shah 3-20, Abbas Afridi 3-24)
Karachi Kings: 148/8 in 19.3 overs (David Warner 60, Khushdil Shah 23*; Luke Wood 3-28, Ali Raza 2-32)
Result: Karachi Kings won by 2 wickets.
This win keeps Karachi Kings in strong contention as the tournament heats up, while Zalmi will look to regroup and bounce back in their upcoming matches.