HBL PSL 2025: Khushdil, Warner help Karachi Kings edge Peshawar Zalmi in thriller

KARACHI: Under the blazing lights of the National Bank Stadium, an electric crowd — the largest so far in this HBL Pakistan Super League season — erupted as Khushdil Shah clinched a heart-stopping two-wicket victory for Karachi Kings against Peshawar Zalmi here on Monday night.

With Kings reeling at 133-8, needing 15 off 12, Khushdil’s (23 not out off 17, three fours) nerveless assault on a tricky, low-bounce pitch turned the tide, providing them with the finishing touch after skipper David Warner’s gritty maiden PSL fifty (60 off 47, eight fours) and a spirited Zalmi fightback led by Luke Wood (3-28).

Entering the match with Kings at two wins from four and Zalmi at one from three, this triumph, in the final game in the metropolis this season, bolstered Kings’ playoff hopes.

The chase was a rollercoaster, defined by Khushdil’s late heroics and a tense climax. Warner, the season’s biggest signing of the league, set the tone, as the southpaw battled seam and low bounce with deft drives and ramps, notably against Ali Raza (2-32), whom he plundered for three fours in the 14th over...
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