Ali Raza’s hat-trick and Mendis’ masterclass propel Zalmi to dominant win
By Nawaz Gohar ; In a night of shattered records and batting brilliance, Peshawar Zalmi continued their relentless march at the summit of HBL PSL 11, securing a commanding seven-wicket victory over Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium. The win was fueled by a masterclass from Kusal Mendis and a historic, game-changing hat-trick by 18-year-old pace sensation Ali Raza.
Chasing a formidable target of 183, Peshawar Zalmi appeared to be in a spot of bother at 67-3 after the departures of Babar Azam (25), James Vince (16), and Aaron Hardie. However, the game shifted gears when Kusal Mendis was joined by young Farhan Yousaf.
The duo orchestrated a magnificent, unbroken 119-run partnership that took the game away from Karachi. Mendis was in sublime touch, smashing an unbeaten 80 off just 43 deliveries, decorated with five boundaries and four towering sixes. In doing so, he not only secured his third Player of the Match award of the season but also moved within striking distance of Fakhar Zaman’s single-season scoring record.
At the other end, Farhan Yousaf—fresh off leading Pakistan in the U19 World Cup—proved he belongs on the big stage. He struck a maiden HBL PSL half-century, finishing 58* off 36 balls, fittingly sealing the win with a elegant slice over cover point with seven balls to spare.
Earlier in the evening, the Karachi Kings seemed poised for a massive total at 161-3. However, the final over belonged to the history books. 18-year-old Ali Raza produced a display of raw pace and pinpoint accuracy that left the Kings’ tail in tatters.
After a run-out on a wide delivery, Raza clinicaly dismantled the lower order with a legitimate hat-trick across the final three balls of the innings: Khushdil Shah was forced into a hit-wicket dismissal.
Shahid Aziz was beaten for pace by a searing yorker.
Hasan Ali saw his stumps shattered by a 149.1 kph thunderbolt.
With this feat, Raza became the youngest player ever to take a hat-trick in HBL PSL history and the youngest Pakistani to do so in T20 cricket, surpassing Mohammad Hasnain’s 2019 record. He finished with figures of 4-41.
The collapse overshadowed a brilliant platform laid by Jason Roy, who hammered a classy 85 off 51 balls. Roy, alongside Azam Khan (35 off 19), had put the Kings in a position of strength with a 63-run stand. During the innings, Hasan Ali also made history by overtaking Shaheen Shah Afridi to become the leading wicket-taker in HBL PSL history with 137 scalps, though the milestone offered little consolation in a losing cause.
With this victory, Peshawar Zalmi remains comfortably atop the table with 17 points from nine matches. Conversely, the Karachi Kings find themselves languishing at seventh place, their playoff hopes hanging by a thread with only two matches remaining in their campaign.
Scores in Brief:
Karachi Kings: 182-9 (20 overs); Jason Roy 85, Azam Khan 35; Ali Raza 4-41.
Peshawar Zalmi: 186-3 (18.5 overs); Kusal Mendis 80*, Farhan Yousaf 58*, Babar Azam 25.
Result: Peshawar Zalmi won by 7 wickets.
