Twitter Reactions: Hazratullah Zazai and Peshawar Zalmi knock Karachi Kings out of PSL 2021
With seven runs needed off the last over, Sherfane Rutherford's unbeaten 10-ball 17 took the Zalmi to a win.
Karachi Kings had won the last two games of the league stage and qualified for the 2021 Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs. However, the Imad Wasim-led unit lost to the Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets in the Eliminator 1 and bowed out of the tournament. As far as the Zalmi, captained by Wahab Riaz, are concerned, they would next be facing the Islamabad United on Tuesday.
Babar shines for the Kings
After being put in to bat first, the Kings got off to a steady start courtesy of a 41-run stand between Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam. Mohammad Irfan separated the duo as he got rid of Sharjeel for a 20-ball 26.
Martin Guptill couldn’t open his account after which Danish Aziz perished as well. In the meantime, Babar Azam notched yet another half-century in the tournament off 42 deliveries. But he couldn’t carry on as Wahab Riaz sent him back for a 45-ball 53.
Barring an 80 plus knock from Mohammad Rizwan, Babar is also set to end as the leading run-scorer of PSL 2021 with 554 runs. Meanwhile, Thisara Perera threw his bat around for an 18-ball 37 with four fours and three sixes. His blitzkrieg meant that the Kings got themselves up to 175 for seven in 20 overs.
Zazai blazes away
In the run-chase, the Zalmi started aggressively as Hazratullah Zazai and Kamran Akmal stitched together a 49-run stand for the opening wicket off 28 balls. Noor Ahmad gave the Kings a breather after castling Akmal. Imam-ul-Haq couldn’t get going, perishing for a laborious 17-ball 11.
At the other end, Zazai racked up his second fifty in the event off 23 balls and looked ominous, to say the least. The southpaw went on to score a 38-ball 77 with 10 fours and five sixes. When he got out, the Zalmi still needed 73 runs in the last 51 balls.
The Kings didn’t throw in the towel and took the game until the last over. With seven runs required off the final over, Mohammad Ilyas gave only two runs off the first three balls. But Sherfane Rutherford hit a four and then got a single to make sure that the Zalmi win with a ball left.
Here’s how the netizens reacted to Peshawar Zalmi’s win:
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