Kings captain Warner vows to 'come back stronger' after record defeat against Zalmi

KARACHI: Karachi Kings captain David Warner expressed his determination for a stronger comeback following the home side's record 159-run defeat at the hands of Peshawar Zalmi in the 17th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

Kings skipper Warner's decision to field first backfired as the Zalmi piled up a record-high 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.

Although his side conceded their highest total in the history of the marquee league, their captain, Warner, insisted that they were "intended" to field first.

He further noted that the home side were still in contention at the halfway mark of Zalmi's innings, but around 60 runs being leaked in the next three overs took the game away from them, ruing his bowlers' inability to stop consistent boundaries.

"I think our decision to bowl first was what we wanted to do and intended to do," Warner said at the post-match presentation.

"But when you allow two stroke-makers time to settle in and hit boundaries consistently every over, it becomes really difficult to pull things back. I thought at the 10-over mark we were still in the game, but in the next three overs they scored around 50-60 runs, which is unacceptable at this level.

"In the first six overs, you've got to try and stay positive. A couple of good balls led to wickets, and there was also some good fielding in the outfield."

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.

The Kings' captain also credited the opposition for putting "serious" runs on the board and acknowledged that it was always going to be a tough ask for the home side to chase it down.

"But credit to them, they came out and put serious runs on the board. It was always going to be a tough chase," Warner stated.

Warner then went on to assert that such defeats are often essential in bringing the energy back into the team before claiming that the players were in good spirits and thus remained confident for a stronger comeback.

"In tournaments like these, sometimes you need a loss like this to bring the energy back into the group," said Warner.

"When you've had six or seven days off, it can take a bit of time to get back into rhythm. But the boys are in good spirits, we've got a great group, and we will take the positives. We will enjoy tomorrow off and come back stronger," he concluded.