RAWALPNDI: Inspired by a brilliant spell of swing bowling from Mohammad Amir and superb batting from Babar Azam, Karachi Kings outclassed former HBL Pakistan Super League champions Peshawar Zalmi by six wickets at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Monday night.

After defeating two-time PSL winners Islamabad United just 24 hours earlier by five wickets, Karachi Kings sealed their second win over the 2017 champions — who were glaringly missing the inspirational leadership of Darren Sammy, who was officially rested for this vital clash — in this edition to catapult into third spot behind Multan Sultans while Quetta Gladiators on six points with a superior net run-rate.

Wahab Riaz, thrusted into the role of captaincy, appeared to a mere by-stander on the field as Karachi Kings effortlessly made short work of the 152-run target on the back of a second-wicket partnership of 101 from 65 balls between Babar Azam and Alex Hales after Sharjeel Khan was horrendously declared leg-before-wicket by Ranmore Martinesz on the second ball of Karachi innings.

Sharjeel asked his batting partner whether to seek DRS but Babar expressed his inability to help the left-hander who then trudged off. But the TV replays indicated the Sri Lankan umpire had erred in making the call because the ball from Hasan Ali had pitched outside the leg stump.

That was perhaps the only blemish on part of Karachi Kings not making the right call when they should have. But Babar and Hales put that behind to entertain the turnout, which was a full house until the break between the innings. And being mainly Peshawar supporters, they had already seen the writing on the wall and with that the outcome as well even at the midpoint of what eventually turned out to be a stroll in the park for Karachi Kings, who thus completed a double celebration after winning their first encounter in Karachi by 10 runs.

Babar, a surprise choice ahead of Amir as the man-of-the-match after ending up on an unbeaten 70 from 59 balls (10 boundaries), and Hales, who clobbered a 27-ball 49 with the aid of six fours and two sixes just toyed with the Peshawar bowling, and even though Yasir Shah — who replaced the injured Mohammad Mohsin in the squad — struck twice in one over, the result was never in doubt.

The start of match No.15 couldn’t have been more histrionic when Amir struck twice in the opening three deliveries to have Peshawar reeling at 4-2. Martinesz had his verdict on the first ball overturn when Tom Banton was struck bang in front of the leg stump by a swinging one.

New man Haider Ali then received a full toss first up and promptly thrashed it straight down the ground to the fence, but had his stumps spread-eagled next ball by a beauty from the left-arm paceman.

Kamran Akmal attempted to pull Aamir Yamin — who was one of the three changes from the XI that played on Sunday — but managed to send a simple catch to Babar at midwicket, while leaving Peshawar in real strife at 10-3 in the third over. And when they had limped to 28-3, it was the worst Powerplay score in this PSL — eclipsing 36-3 made by Quetta Gladiators against Islamabad United in the tournament opener at Karachi.

Shoaib Malik and Liam Livingstone (25 off 20 balls, two fours) resurrected the innings to some extent with a much-needed partnership of 47 in 35 balls before the Englishman holed to long off where Babar judged the catch superbly off highly promising slow left-armer Umar Khan. The stand between Malik and Livingstone was a precious 57 runs in 42 balls.

Malik used his vast experience in the shortest format to good effect and batted deep into the innings to carry Peshawar into a position of stability. The 38-year-old campaigner registered his 59th 50-plus score in his 382nd T20 appearance. The right-hander brought up his half-century in great style when he fiercely cut Aamir Yamin to the point boundary.

The former Pakistan skipper didn’t finished until he had posted his highest PSL score — surpassing the unbeaten 65 he made for Multan Sultans versus Quetta Gladiators at Dubai in March 2018 — when he slashed a catch to Chadwick Walton behind the stumps after having punctuated his 55-ball knock of 68 with six fours and one six.

Amir, meanwhile, equalled his best figures in PSL in taking 4-25 from four testing overs. He also returned similar return against Multan Sultans at Dubai last year.

The Rawalpindi leg now takes a two-day break before action resumes on Thursday when Peshawar Zalmi are again in action against old foes Quetta Gladiators in the last of night fixtures.

Current standings

(Tabulated under played, won, lost, tied, no-result, points, net run-run-rate):

Multan Sultans 5 4 1 0 0 8 +1.415

Quetta Gladiators 5 3 2 0 0 6 -0.168

Karachi Kings 5 3 2 0 0 6 -0.196

Islamabad United 6 2 3 0 1 5 -0.051

Peshawar Zalmi 6 2 3 0 1 5 -0.430

Lahore Qalandars 3 0 3 0 1 0 -1.136

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI

Batsmen & mode of dismissals R B 4s 6s SR

T. Banton lbw b Amir 0 1 0 0 0.00

Kamran Akmal c Babar b Aamir 4 8 1 0 50.00

Haider Ali b Amir 4 2 1 0 200.00

Shoaib Malik c Walton b Jordan 68 55 6 1 123.63

L.S. Livingstone c Babar b Umar 25 20 1 1 125.00

L. Gregory c Imad b Amir 25 22 2 0 113.63 C.R. Brathwaite c Walton b Amir 8 5 0 1 160.00

Wahab Riaz lbw b Jordan 2 4 0 0 50.00

Hasan Ali not out 4 2 1 0 200.00

Yasir Shah not out 1 1 0 0 100.00

EXTRAS (B-3, W-7) 10 - - - -

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 151 - - - -

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0 (Banton, 0.1 ov), 2-4 (Haider, 0.3 ov), 3-10 (Kamran, 3.3 ov), 4-57 (Livingstone, 9.2 ov),5-114 (Gregory, 16.2 ov), 6-136 (Brathwaite, 18.1 ov), 7-145 (Wahab, 19.2 ov), 8-150 (Malik, 19.5 ov).

DID NOT BAT: Rahat Ali.

BOWLING:Mohammad Amir 4-0-25-4 (2w); Aamir Yamin 4-1-22-1 (1w); Jordan 4-0-33-2 (3w); Imad Wasim 4-0-27-0; Umar Khan 4-0-41-1 (1w).

KARACHI KINGS

Batsmen & mode of dismissals R B 4s 6s SR

Sharjeel Khan lbw b Hasan 4 3 1 0 133.33

Babar Azam not out 70 59 10 0 118.64 A.D. Halesb Yasir 49 27 6 2 181.48

C.S. Delport c Banton b Yasir 2 4 0 0 50.00

C.A.K. Walton c Rahat b Brathwaite 22 16 4 0 137.50

Iftikhar Ahmed not out 0 0 0 0 0.00

EXTRAS(LB-1, W-4) 5 - - - -

TOTAL(for four wkts, 18.1. overs) 152 - - - -

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4 (Sharjeel, 0.3 ov), 2-105 (Hales, 11.2 ov), 3-107 (Delport, 11.6 ov), 4-147 (Walton, 17.4 ov).

DID NOT BAT: Imad Wasim, Aamir Yamin, C.J. Jordan, Mohammad Amir, Umar Khan.

BOWLING:Hasan Ali 4-0-35-1; Rahat Ali 3.1-0-21-0 (2w); Wahab Riaz 2-0-25-0 (1w); Yasir Shah 4-0-28-2 (1w); Gregory 2-0-19-0; Livingstone 1-0-10-0; Brathwaite 2-0-13-1.

RESULT: Karachi Kings won by six wickets.

UMPIRES:R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka) and Tariq Rasheed (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Rashid Riaz (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE:R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Amir (Karachi Kings).

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020