Zalmi crush Kings in PSL record rout

Karachi Kings suffered the heaviest defeat in Pakistan Super League history on Thursday as Peshawar Zalmi stormed to a 159-run victory, powered by a brutal century from Kusal Mendis and an unbeaten 87 from Babar Azam. Both sides arrived at the contest unbeaten this season, but Zalmi extended their winning momentum with a near-flawless display, while the Kings looked rusty after a week-long break and were outclassed in all departments at home. Kings captain David Warner misread the surface, calling it a “day five” pitch, and his side quickly lost grip on the contest amid poor fielding and missed chances — including a key reprieve for Mendis early in his innings. Zalmi, in contrast, delivered a batting masterclass. Mendis struck 109 off 52 balls, registering the fastest century by a Zalmi batter in PSL history, while sharing a record-breaking 191-run stand with Babar Azam, who faced 51 deliveries in his fluent knock. The partnership became the highest in PSL history, laying the foundation for Zalmi’s record team total of 246, which was later boosted by a destructive 12-ball 40 from Abdul Samad. The innings was a showcase of classical strokeplay mixed with modern power. Babar and Mendis repeatedly pierced the off-side with elegant cuts and drives while punishing anything loose through the leg side, racing to 66 for one inside the powerplay. Mendis reached his half-century in 26 balls, with Babar following in 32 deliveries before surpassing 12,000 T20 runs — becoming the fastest to the milestone in terms of innings, ahead of Chris Gayle. The Sri Lankan batter dominated the partnership, bringing up his century in 48 balls before eventually falling after reaching 109, while Zalmi’s late surge ensured they crossed 240 with ease. Samad’s late assault — including three sixes off Abbas Afridi and a barrage of boundaries off Mir Hamza — pushed the Kings beyond recovery. Kings were further hampered by the absence of Hasan Ali, whose death bowling has been a standout this season but was ruled out due to fever. Any hopes of a chase evaporated almost immediately. Zalmi’s bowlers dismantled the top order, removing openers David Warner and Muhammad Waseem within seven deliveries before Salman Agha fell early in the third over. At 8 for 3, the chase was effectively over, and Kings collapsed to 87 in 16.1 overs — the lowest total ever recorded in Karachi in the PSL. Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Sufyan Muqeem shared three wickets each as Zalmi completed a comprehensive victory that underlined their title credentials early in the season.