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That'll be all then for today but we've got a Super Saturday lined up tomorrow at the same venue - Islamabad United lock horns with Lahore Qalandars in the afternoon clash before Peshawar Zalmi return to face defending champions Multan Sultans later in the day. Do join us for our coverage of the two games while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing action and news from across the globe right here on Sportskeeda. And of course, there's the big finale at the ICC U19 World Cup between England and India so make sure you join us for our coverage of that as wel. Thank you so much for tuning in for this one as we hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did bringing to you. On behalf of my good friend and co-commentator Pratyush Rohra, this is Sooryanarayanan Sesha humbly reminding you to mask up and get vaccinated in case you haven't already. Good night and take care!
Wahab Riaz (Peshawar Zalmi Captain): Watching the last three-four games, with teams putting runs on the board there's always a chance. It's not easy batting second since the wickets are slow and the ball doesn't come onto the bat that easy. (On his side's batters) I think they've done really well and adapted to the conditions really well. We have to be on our toes every time we walk out and assess the conditions well before adapting to it. (The thought behind promoting Cutting ahead of Rutherford) The plan was to send either Ben or Rutherford up front but with the off-spinner bowling we sent Ben up the order. It wasn't easy to score though with the ball not coming on to the bat. The way Salman came back today and the way Umar bowled was amazing. That'll give us a lot of confidence going forward.
Babar Azam (Karachi Kings Captain): The pitch was quite slow but we conceded a few extra runs. We bowled loose deliveries in the middle-overs and then we didn't get the partnerships we needed with the bat. We wanted to take it deep and had we got those partnerships it would have helped. It was coming on rather slow and dipping late. We tried to get going but it didn't work out. The more you learn from these games the more beneficial it is for the team. We will look to bounce back stronger.
Shoaib Malik (Player of the Match: (On bowling just the one over) We all know Sharjeel is a dangerous batter and till the time we don't take his wicket we wouldn't be in the game. So the captain asked me to bowl the first over. When you play the T20 format, the strike-rate has to be 140+. Kamran and Zazai gave us a good start. You have to play your shots and assess the conditions as quickly as possible and that's what I did. Most of us have played on this strip and all you can do is to keep reminding your bowlers. When you go for boundaries you can panic so those small reminders really help.
Right then. Peshawar manage to get over the line despite losing the toss and defending. That trend of winning the toss and opting to bowl first isn't proving to be a sureshot victory option as it did initially.
Shoaib Malik was the star of the show for Zalmi tonight, alongside the bowlers. Umar and Irshad give an excellent account of themselves, while Qadir made sure he gets amongst the wickets too.
After a disastrous start to their run chase, Babar and Cockbain steadied the ship for Karachi to get them right back into this contest. However, there wasn't much to cheer apart for the Kings once that partnership was broken.
So, Karachi stay winless in the tournament so far and will have to pull their socks up if they are to make the finals again. Zalmi, on the other hand, can take a lot of heart from this performance as they look to build on a winning momentum.
Stick around for the presentations.
Mohammad Umar: Thanks to the Almighty for my good bowling performance today. The coaches and the captain backed me and gave me a lot of confidence. They told me to go with the slower ones. (On Hardik Pandya being his favorite cricketer) I hope to become the number 1 all-rounder not just in Pakistan but in the world. (On that delivery to dismiss Aamer Yamin) I practiced the leg-cutter in the nets and delivered it here - it worked for me.
A flurry of boundaries but alas, too late for Babar Azam and the Kings' liking. This has been a stupendous defense though from Wahab Riaz and Co. Peshawar Zalmi beat Karachi Kings by 9 runs!
20
overs
164/6score
1
1w
4
1b
4
4
4
runs
Babar Azam*
90(63)
Lewis Gregory
8(6)
Hussain Talat
1/43
19.6 Hussain Talat to Babar Azam, FOUR MORE! A hat-trick of fours but alas, it's of no use! If they'd only come much earlier in the innings! Slower bouncer outside off, takes off at an awkward height as Babar stands on his toes and guides it over backward point to clear the fielder with ease before it races away for four. This has been quite the defense from Zalmi though as they get back to winning ways! Peshawar Zalmi win by 9 runs!
19.5 Hussain Talat to Babar Azam, FOUR MORE! Another slower one angling into the stumps on a good length, Babar's bottom hand comes off the handle as he heaves across the line with a swipe. He manages to pierce the gap behind square on the leg-side though as it rockets to the boundary again.
Video
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B Azam
S Malik
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National Stadium, Karachi
Babar Azam
*
Hussain Talat
