Karachi Kings Vs Peshawar Zalmi Highlights, PSL 2026: Mendis’ Unbeaten 80 Powers PSZ To Seven-Wicket Win

Peshawar Zalmi Squad: Mohammad Haris(w), Babar Azam(c), Kusal Mendis, Farhan Yousaf, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit, Ali Raza, Brian Bennett, Khalid Usman, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shahnawaz Dahani, Khurram Shahzad, Aamer Jamal, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdul Subhan, Kashif Ali

Karachi Kings Squad: Saad Baig(w), Jason Roy, Salman Agha, Reeza Hendricks, Moeen Ali(c), Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shahid Aziz, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza, Azam Khan, David Warner, Aqib Ilyas, Ihsanullah, Haroon Arshad, Khuzaima Tanveer, Mohammad Hamza, Rizwanullah

• Matches Played: 24

• Karachi Kings Won: 8

• Peshawar Zalmi Won: 16

KRK: Saad Baig (WK), Jason Roy, Salman Agha, Reeza Hendricks, Khushdil Shah, Moeen Ali (C), Abbas Afridi, Shahid Aziz, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza.

PSZ: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Haris (WK), Kusal Mendis, Aaron Hardie, Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit, Ali Raza.

KRK captain David Warner has won the toss and decided to bat first in Lahore.

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), James Vince, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Aaron Hardie, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit Ali, Ali Raza.

Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Jason Roy, Salman Ali Agha, Reeza Hendricks, Azam Khan (wk), Moeen Ali, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shahid Aziz, Hassan Ali, Zahid Mehmood

We’re underway. Jason Roy and David Warner walk out, steady and focused. Roy takes strike, just settling in, having a look around. Mohammad Basit has the ball in hand and starts the innings. New ball, quiet field, a bit of anticipation as the first delivery comes in.

Oh that’s a big moment in the middle of a decent start. Ali Raza keeps it on a good length, angling it across, and David Warner tries to get a bit too fancy. He shuffles across, goes for the slog-sweep, but completely misses it.

The ball crashes into off-stump and that’s the end of Warner. He had started nicely with a couple of boundaries, but this one sneaks through and ends his stay on 11 off 13. First wicket down, and the momentum takes a slight hit.

That’s a lovely response from Salman Agha. Sufiyan Muqeem floats it up just outside off, inviting the drive, and Agha accepts it with ease. He leans forward, gets to the pitch, and gently guides it through cover. No rush, no force, just pure timing as it slips past the infield and rolls away for four.

A bit of a release for Jason Roy. Aaron Hardie goes a touch straight, and Roy helps it on its way. Just a neat little glance, using the pace, and it races down to fine leg for four.

That’s a soft one to give away. Aaron Hardie offers a leg-stump half-volley, and Salman Agha goes for the pick-up flick. He connects well, but doesn’t bother finding the gap.

The ball goes straight down the throat of Mohammad Basit at deep backward square leg, and that’s the end of Agha. He departs for 12 off 9, and just when he looked settled, he’s picked out the fielder perfectly. Another wicket falls.

Keeps it tight does Sufiyan Muqeem. He drags the pace back and keeps it wide, making Jason Roy reach for it. Roy can only chop it out towards long-off and settles for a single.

Neat start from Reeza Hendricks. Aaron Hardie goes back of a length and targets the hips, and Hendricks just tucks it away nicely behind square. Easy running, and they come back for two.

Aaron Hardie keeps testing the middle, and Reeza Hendricks goes hard at this one. Back of a length outside off, he tries to muscle it away but picks out the fielder at deep mid-wicket. Just a single in the end.

Not quite how he planned it, but Azam Khan will take it. Sufiyan Muqeem tosses it up outside off, and Khan backs away looking for a big hit. Swings hard, gets a thick outside edge, and it flies down to third man for four.

Ali Raza keeps it sharp and straight, and Azam Khan is struggling to connect cleanly. He goes for the leg scoop this time, but it’s quick and right on the stumps. Misses it completely, and it thuds straight into the keeper’s gloves.

That’s more like it from Azam Khan. Ali Raza goes back of a length outside off, and Khan backs away to give himself room. This time he connects cleanly, uses the pace, and lifts it inside out over deep extra cover. That sails all the way for six and suddenly things feel a lot more positive around this partnership.

That’s the big one, and it comes just when they needed it. Mohammad Basit takes the pace off and keeps it on the stumps, tempting Jason Roy into the big hit. Roy goes across the line, gets it high rather than long, and it hangs in the air.

Out in the deep, James Vince charges in, keeps his eyes on it, and then dives forward to grab it inches from the turf. A sharp catch to end a fine knock. Roy walks back for 85 off 51, packed with boundaries, and that’s a massive breakthrough.

That’s messy, really messy. Ali Raza sprays it wide, nothing on offer, but chaos follows. They go for the run, and suddenly there’s confusion.

Kusal Mendis is quick to react, gathers and fires it back, and Abbas Afridi is caught short. Run out for 6 off 3, and that’s a wicket gifted away.

The innings wraps up at 182/9 in 20 overs, and it always felt like Jason Roy was holding it all together. He played a standout knock of 85 off 51, timing it beautifully and finding the boundary with ease, but once he fell, the innings lost direction.

Wickets kept slipping at regular intervals, and despite a few cameos, there wasn’t enough support around him to push the total beyond a competitive score.

Chase time. James Vince and Babar Azam walk out, calm and composed, knowing the target is a stiff one. Vince takes strike, just settling in as he marks his guard. Shahid Aziz has the ball and starts things off. Early moments in the chase, field up, and there’s that quiet tension as the first delivery comes in.

Big moment early in the chase as Babar Azam walks back for 25 off 19. It was a soft dismissal in truth, a leading edge on the on-drive that ballooned straight to mid-off. Abbas Afridi gets the breakthrough, and David Warner barely had to move as he completed a simple catch. Zalmi lose an early anchor, and the chase suddenly feels a bit more open.

That’s a statement from Kusal Mendis. Hasan Ali hits a good length at the stumps, but Mendis is right on it. He clears the front leg, swings clean through the line, and sends it sailing high over mid-on. No doubt about that one, it keeps going over the ropes for a big six.

Abbas Afridi goes short and wide outside off, and that’s just what Kusal Mendis was waiting for. He leans into it, hammers it into the gap through mid-wicket, and even a diving effort in the deep can’t stop it. That races away for four, strong reply in this chase.

Runs keep flowing for Peshawar here. Moeen Ali goes a bit quicker and keeps it just outside off, but Kusal Mendis is in good touch. He waits on it, uses the pace, and slices it nicely between the fielders at square third man. The fielder gives it a chase and does well to pull it back, but they still get three comfortable runs.

Moeen Ali drops it short again and pays the price. Kusal Mendis rocks back, pulls it firmly to deep mid-wicket, and comes back hard for the second. That brings up a well-made fifty for Mendis, and the stand with Farhan Yousaf also reaches 50. Peshawar keep ticking along nicely in this chase.

Hasan Ali goes back to the slower ball, and this one really grips and holds. Farhan Yousaf is early into the shot and ends up chipping it straight back.

A simple return catch comes the bowler’s way, but he puts it down. A big chance goes begging, and Yousaf survives what should have been the end of his stay.

Hasan Ali goes for the slower one again, but this time it sits up nicely. Farhan Yousaf is ready early, picks the length in a flash, and absolutely launches it straight down the ground. It disappears deep into the stands.

A proper statement shot that also brings up a brilliant fifty for the youngster. What an innings this has been, full of intent and composure.

Hasan Ali goes full and wide outside off, but Farhan Yousaf doesn’t miss out. He slices it cleanly past the fielder at square of the wicket and it races away to the boundary.

And that’s it. Zalmi finish it off in style by 7 wickets. Yousaf takes off his helmet, looks up, and soaks in the moment as teammates come out to celebrate a composed chase.

That’s a wrap from this match, but you can now switch to our live coverage of LSG Vs RR in the IPL blog, and Hyderabad Kingsmen Vs Multan Sultans in the PSL blog. See you all there.