Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem both claimed four-wicket hauls to power Peshawar Zalmi as they bowled Hyderabad Kingsmen out for 145 in the 15th Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
Batting first, Kingsmen were bundled out for 145 in 18.2 overs. The innings got off to a promising start as openers Maaz Sadaqat and Saim Ayub added valuable runs early on.
However, the 26-run opening stand was broken in the third over when Iftikhar Ahmed dismissed Sadaqat for 17 off eight balls, which included three boundaries.
Iftikhar struck again in his second over, removing two established batters. Saim Ayub fell for 14 off 15 deliveries, with two fours, followed by Usman Khan, who was out for a duck, leaving Hyderabad struggling at 33-3 in 4.3 overs.
Iftikhar continued his fiery spell, claiming another wicket as he clean bowled Sharjeel Khan for two off five balls, further intensifying the pressure on the Kingsmen.
Skipper Marnus Labuschagne and Kusal Perera then combined to steady the innings, putting together a crucial 50-run partnership that helped Hyderabad cross the 50-run mark.
The duo batted sensibly, taking the score past 100 before the partnership was broken by Sufiyan Muqeem, who dismissed Labuschagne for a run-a-ball 27, which included three boundaries, leaving the team at 116-5 in 14.1 overs.
Perera shone with the bat, raising his third PSL fifty with a well-paced and impactful innings. However, Muqeem struck again in the final stages, dismantling the Kingsmen’s lower order.
In his last over, he removed Irfan Khan Niazi for nine, Kusal Perera for 58 off 35 balls, which included five fours and two sixes, and finally Maheesh Theekshana for a duck.
Hunain Shah became the ninth Kingsmen wicket as he was run out by Farhan Yousuf with a direct hit without facing a delivery, while Hassan Khan was the last batsman dismissed by Aamer Jamal after scoring nine runs.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem were the standout bowlers for Zalmi, sharing eight wickets between them. Iftikhar claimed 4/21 in his four overs, while Sufiyan took 4/32 in his four-over spell. Aamer Jamal also contributed with one wicket.
