Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam in action during their PSL 10 encounter against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on April 21, 2025 argues that his dismissal in the 10th over changed the tide in Kings’ advantage. — PCB
Peshawar Zalmi Falters Once more as Kings Clinch a Nail-Biter
Peshawar Zalmi suffered their third loss in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10, this time to Karachi Kings in a dramatic two-wicket clash at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi. Another close struggle, another narrow loss. Zalmi’s middle-order breakdown and failure to finish strong cost him greatly even with a good start.
Babar Azam Breaks Silence After Third Defeat
During the post-match presentation, Peshawar Zalmi’s skipper, Babar Azam, gave an honest assessment. Babar examined what went wrong, not holding back from form issues to tactical errors.
Babar claims that his dismissal in the 10th over shifted the momentum in Kings’ favour
Babar said, pointing to his expulsion in the 10th over, “I got out at the wrong time and the momentum shifted after that.”
Babar compiled 46 runs off 40 balls with seven boundaries, looking set for a huge total before his ejection. But the innings collapsed as he became trapped LBW by Khushdil Shah.
A Target Below Par: Babar Bemoans Missing 10-15 Runs
Zalmi’s innings concluded at 147/8, and even with wickets in hand early on, the back-end acceleration never showed up. Babar underlined the important difference between their score and their necessity.
“Think we were 10-15 runs short. It’s a bit difficult for new batters to get going. Our plan was also for one batter to bat deep just like Warner did for them but then their new batters found it difficult,” he explained.
Lack of late momentum combined with Babar’s unavailability at the crease in the last overs transformed what would have been a defendable score into a chaseable one.
Zalmi’s Bowling Unit Shows Signs of Progress
Babar stayed hopeful about his bowling unit’s slow improvement even though the loss hurt. Zalmi has battled to defend low totals with a rather new bowling approach this season, but positive signals are starting to surface.
“Our bowling combination is getting settled now. We will try to work on our mistakes and come back stronger,” he concluded.
Despite flashes of brilliance, their failure to regulate under pressure proved crucial and decisive in the matches outcome
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The Khushdil Shah Breakthrough: Turning Point in Karachi’s Favour
The pivotal point of the game came when Khushdil Shah struck in the 10th over to eliminate Baber. Zalmi was flying at the time, but Kings took advantage of Babar’s removal to cause a clinically based fall-off.
Then regular wickets choked Zalmi’s momentum, and even their aggressive hitters struggled to get going against Karachi’s disciplined attack.
Karachi Kings Hold Nerve in Nervy Finish
Kings chasing 148 ran across their own mistakes and lost important wickets in clusters. However, a calm end guaranteed they passed Zalmi by two wickets, therefore preserving their campaign and raising PSL 10 point competition to become more fierce.
PSL 10 Standings: Zalmi Slipping, But Not Out Yet
Peshawar Zalmi sits 4th on the points table after this loss with just two points from four games. Their next meeting against Lahore Qalandars on Thursday becomes critical for a turnabout as pressure mounts.
Final Thoughts: Zalmi’s Fragility vs. Babar’s Brilliance
This performance exposed the middle-order weakness of Zalmi and their ongoing reliance on Babar Azam. Although his form seemed to be recovering, his absence from the death overs clearly created a hole.
Babar’s challenges for Pakistan draw attention to a more general problem with match-finishing depth; New Zealand’s disciplined batting order often shows how to construct and finish innings successfully. Zalmi has to learn that balance quickly.
FAQs – Here’s all you need to know about PSL 10!
Q1. What did Babar Azam say about his dismissal against Karachi Kings?
He said it shifted the momentum in favor of the Kings.
Q2. How many runs did Babar Azam score in the match?
He scored 46 runs off 40 balls with seven boundaries.
Q3. What was Peshawar Zalmi’s total score in the match?
Zalmi posted 147/8 in their 20 overs.
Q4. What is Peshawar Zalmi’s standing in the PSL 10 table?
They are currently in fourth place with two points from four matches.
Q5. Who was the key bowler that dismissed Babar Azam?
Khushdil Shah dismissed him LBW in the 10th over.
