PSL 11 points table after Peshawar Zalmi outclass Karachi Kings
Record 159-run victory lifts Zalmi to second position as Kings remain fourth
KARACHI: 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi registered a record 159-run victory over home side Karachi Kings in the 17th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Put into bat first by Kings captain David Warner, the visitors piled up a mammoth total of 246/3 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a monumental 191-run partnership for the second wicket between centurion Kusal Mendis and captain Babar Azam.
Mendis top-scored for Zalmi with a swashbuckling 109 off 52 deliveries, studded with 14 fours and four sixes, while Babar carried his bat all the way through with an unbeaten 87 off 51 balls, laced with 10 fours and two sixes.
Middle-order batter Abdul Samad bolstered the Zalmi's total at the backend with a blazing cameo of 40 not out, which came off just 12 deliveries, and featured four sixes and three fours.
Abbas Afridi was the standout bowler for the Kings, taking two wickets for 55 runs in his four overs, while Khushdil Shah could claim one.
Set to chase a daunting 247-run target, the home side could accumulate a meagre 87 before getting bowled out in 16.1 overs and thus succumbed to a record 159-run defeat, which marked their first in the ongoing PSL 11.
Wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan remained the top-scorer for the Kings with a cautious 25 off 27 deliveries with the help of three fours and a six, while fellow middle-order batters Saad Baig (14) and Khushdil Shah (10) were the others to amass double figures.
Nahid Rana, Sufiyan Muqeem and Iftikhar Ahmed jointly led the Zalmi's bowling charge with three wickets each, while Shoriful Islam chipped in with one.
The 159-run victory lifted Peshawar Zalmi to the second position in PSL 11 standings with seven points in four matches, pipping Islamabad United due to a superior net run rate, currently standing at 2.877, as the three-time champions have as many points after five games.
| Teams | Matches | Wins | Losses | No Results | Points | Net Run Rate |
| Multan Sultans | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0.941 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2.877 |
| Islamabad United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2.052 |
| Karachi Kings | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | -1.639 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -0.051 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -0.223 |
| Hyderabad Kingsmen | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -1.558 |
| RawalPindiz | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -1.625 |
On the contrary, the Kings remained fourth in the standings with six points after four matches despite suffering the biggest defeat in the history of the league, which, however, significantly dented their net run rate, currently standing at a negative 1.639.
Meanwhile, 2021 champions Multan Sultans remained at the summit of the PSL 11 standings with eight points after five games, while holders Lahore Qalandars are fifth with four points in four matches.
The previous edition's runners-up, Quetta Gladiators, hold the sixth spot with two points after four games, while debutants RawalPindiz and Hyderabad Kingsmen remain at the bottom two after both teams lost each of their four respective PSL 11 matches thus far.
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