Author: A Sports

KARACHI: Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan delivered with the bat to secure the first victory for Hyderabad Kingsmen over Karachi Kings in the 20th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday.

Set a stiff 189, Hyderabad Kingsmen aced the chase in 19.1 overs, losing six wickets in the process.

Marnus Labuschagne and Maaz Sadaqat provided a rapid start with 35 on the board in 2.5 overs. The skipper made 26 from 10, including three fours and two sixes.

Hyderabad Kingsmen capitalized on a strong start as Sadaqat stitched a 60-run partnership with Usman Khan.

The duo made the chase look easy as Kingsmen’s scorecard read 96 in 7.5 overs. However, Abbas Afridi and Adam Zampa turned things around with consecutive wickets in back-to-back overs.

Afridi first removed Usman, who made 27 off 13 balls, while Zampa got rid of Sadaqat. The left-hander scored 37 off 29, including two sixes and four boundaries.

Karachi Kings bowlers further mounted pressure in the shape of Saim Ayub’s (6) and Glenn Maxwell’s (2) wickets.

As a result, Hyderabad Kingsmen slumped to 112-5 in 11.4 overs.

Following quick wickets, Kusal Perera and Irfan Khan put the chase back on track with a brief 27-run stand. But it was the former’s wicket that gave Karachi Kings a foothold on the match.

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Perera made 17 from 14 deliveries with the help of a single boundary.

Consequently, Hyderabad Kingsmen required 50 from the last five overs with four wickets in hand.

Facing an uphill task, Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan combined to add a match-winning half-century stand to take their team over the line.

Irfan struck two fours and a six on his way to 29 from 20, whereas Hassan quick-fire 33 off 16, included two maximums and two fours.

For Karachi Kings, Abbas Afridi took two wickets in four overs.

Earlier, Saad Baig’s half-century and Moeen Ali’s late surge powered Karachi Kings to a commanding total

Put in to bat first, Karachi Kings finished their innings at 188 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Karachi Kings’ innings started on a shaky note as Reeza Hendricks was caught at fine leg for two on the fourth ball of the opening over.

After an early blow, Salman Ali Agha and Muhammad Waseem joined hands and added 45 runs in 5.2 overs.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Salman Agha, who was looking fluent, got out after scoring 24 from 16 balls, hitting two sixes and two fours.

Hyderabad Kingsmen bowlers made a good comeback after the power play and got the prized wicket of Muhammad Waseem. The right-hander was lbw, thanks to a deadly yorker from Hunain Shah.

As a result, Karachi Kings were reduced to 59-3 in 7.2 overs.

With the Kings in trouble, Azam Khan and Saad Baig launched a swift recovery with a 61-run stand off 43 balls. The duo batted with authority, helping Karachi Kings reach 120 in 14.3 overs.

Azam made 26 from 19, including two sixes and a boundary.

Nonetheless, the highlight of the innings was stand-in skipper Moeen Ali’s whirlwind knock. The southpaw hit five maximums and a four, bringing the score to 175 in 18.1 overs.

Meanwhile, Baig was time-out after completing his half-century in the 18th over. He made 53 on 37 balls, hitting half a dozen boundaries.

For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Hunain Shah remained the pick of bowlers, taking three wickets in four overs while giving away only 19 runs.

READ: Babar Azam reflects on Peshawar Zalmi win over Lahore Qalandars

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam hailed the team’s all-around performance against Lahore Qalandars in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. 

Zalmi dominated Qalandars, sealing a decisive 76-run victory here at the National Bank Stadium after posting 173-7 on the board at the end of the 20 overs.

Kusal Mendis starred again with the bat, scoring 74 from 48 balls, and earned the player of the match award.

Meanwhile, Babar anchored the innings with 43 off 40 balls, including a six and three fours.

In reply, Lahore Qalandars were bowled out cheaply for 97 in 17 overs, thanks to Sufyan Muqeem and Michael Bracewell’s spin bowling.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

During the post-match presentation, Babar commended Peshawar Zalmi for a strong performance and revealed the game plan in the first six overs.

“It was a strong performance, especially with the way we started with the bat. We recognized early on that the pitch was playing a little differently, so our primary plan was to fully utilize the first six overs while the ball was hard,” he said.

“Once the Powerplay ended, the conditions became significantly slower, so we made a conscious effort to consolidate and ensure we didn’t lose wickets in clusters. Kusal Mendis played exceptionally well during that phase to keep the pressure on,” he added.

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The right-hander also talked about his own form, noting that staying on the crease longer boosts his confidence.

“On a personal level, it always feels better the more time you spend out in the middle. When you stay at the crease, the runs start to come more naturally, and your confidence grows,” the skipper explained.

“My focus is always on doing what is best for the team—whether that’s rotating the strike to keep things moving or finding that odd boundary from time to time to keep the momentum in our favor,” he concluded.

READ: Here’s why David Warner is not playing against Hyderabad Kingsmen

KARACHI: Karachi Kings regular captain David Warner is not part of the playing XI against Hyderabad Kingsmen in the 20th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

During the toss, Moeen Ali came out to captain the side and revealed that Warner is missing today’s clash due to a back problem.

“He’s not playing. He has a bad back, so unfortunately, he misses out,” said Moeen Ali.

Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne won the toss and decided to bowl first.

This will be the first time the two teams have played each other, with Kingsmen making its inaugural appearance in the tournament.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Hyderabad Kingsmen have bolstered their batting lineup with the inclusion of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who will be featuring for the first time in the tournament.

Playing XIs

Karachi Kings XI: Reeza Hendricks, Muhammad Waseem, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali (capt), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Ihsanullah

Hyderabad Kingsmen XI: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Khan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali

READ: Babar Azam becomes first batter to achieve historic PSL milestone

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen have won the toss and have decided to bowl first against Karachi Kings in the 20th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday.

Karachi Kings and Hyderabad Kingsmen will face each other for the first time, as the latter is making its inaugural appearance in the tournament.

The Kings have lost only one game out of four while Kingsmen are in search of their first win of the tournament after losing four games on the trot.

Playing XI

Karachi Kings: Moeen Ali (c), Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Adam Zampa, Reeza Hendricks, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Waseem

Hyderabad Kingsmen: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Hassan Khan (vc), Usman Khan, Akif Javed, Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Ali, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Glenn Maxwell, Hunain Shah,

READ: Babar Azam becomes first batter to achieve historic PSL milestone

KARACHI: Kusal Mendis gutsy knock, backed by a complete bowling performance, helped Peshawar Zalmi defeat Lahore Qalandars in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday.

Set 174, Lahore Qalandars fell short by 76 runs and were bowled out for 97 in 16.5 overs.

After losing Mohammad Naeem for one in the second over, Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman stabilized the innings with a 39-run partnership.

However, the defending champions lost in the fifth over with the dismissals of Shafique and Zaman, both sent back to the pavilion on identical scores of 21.

The slide continued as Qalandars lost half of their side at the end of the 10th over. The chief tormentors were Michael Bracewell and Sufiyan Muqeem.

The situation worsened when Sikandar Raza and Shaeen Afridi were removed in back-to-back overs. As a result, Qalandars were 67-7 in 11.4 overs.

The game was long done and dusted, with debutant Dunith Wellalage resisting with 20 from 24 balls to only reduce the margin of defeat. His resistance came to an end as he was caught at the backward point off Aamer Jamal’s bowling.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

For Peshawar Zalmi, Muqeem and Bracewell shared six wickets between them, whereas Nahid Rana picked up two wickets.

Earlier, a composed half-century from Kusal Mendis and another steady outing by Babar Azam guided Peshawar Zalmi to a competitive 173-7 at the end of their 20 overs.

Put into bat first, Zalmi suffered an early setback when Mohammad Haris fell after a brisk 18 off 10 balls, undone by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

However, what followed was a stabilizing and impactful partnership between Babar and Mendis, who combined to add 109 runs for the second wicket.

With this win, Peshawar Zalmi moved to the top position on the points table with nine points.

The duo kept the scoreboard ticking with calculated aggression, pushing the Qalandars’ bowling unit onto the back foot.

During the stand, Mendis brought up a fluent half-century, while Babar also reached a historic milestone, becoming the first player to cross 4000 runs in PSL history.

The partnership was eventually broken in the 16th over when Usama Mir dismissed Babar for 43 off 40 deliveries.

The Qalandars struck again soon after, with Afridi removing Mendis for a well-crafted 74 off 48 balls, an innings that included five fours and four sixes.

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Zalmi’s middle order struggled to maintain the same momentum in the closing stages. Ubaid Shah removed Abdul Samad cheaply, while Michael Bracewell provided a brief late flourish with a 10-ball 21 before falling to Mustafizur Rahman.

Zalmi eventually closed their innings at 173-7, with Iftikhar Ahmed (7) and Sufiyan Muqeem (1) unbeaten at the crease.

For the Qalandars, Afridi led from the front with three wickets, while Mustafizur chipped in with two. Ubaid Shah and Usama Mir claimed one apiece.

READ: Babar Azam becomes first batter to achieve historic PSL milestone

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam etched his name deeper into the record books on Saturday, becoming the first batter to score 4000 runs in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The milestone came during Peshawar Zalmi’s ongoing PSL 11 clash against defending champions Lahore Qalandars at the National Bank Stadium.

Coming into the match, Babar required 39 runs to reach the landmark and got there with a single off Usama Mir on the first ball of the 14th over.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The leg-spinner, however, had the final say shortly after, dismissing the Zalmi captain in the following over. Babar ended his innings with a composed 43 off 40 deliveries.

Having featured in the league since its inaugural edition in 2016, Babar has been the most consistent performer in PSL history and now sits comfortably at the top of the all-time run charts.

He is followed by Fakhar Zaman, who has amassed 3018 runs, and Mohammad Rizwan, who has 2853 runs to his name.

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Most runs in PSL

• Babar Azam (IU, KK, PZ) – 4004 runs
• Fakhar Zaman (LQ) – 3018 runs
• Mohammad Rizwan (KK, LQ, MS, RWP) – 2853 runs
• Rilee Rossouw (MS, QG) – 2366 runs
• Shoaib Malik (KK, MS, PZ, QG) – 2350 runs

Beyond the milestone, Babar has also been in fine touch in the ongoing PSL 11 season.

The right-hander is currently the third leading run-scorer in the season, having accumulated 212 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 70.66, while maintaining a strike rate of 135.89.

READ: Lahore Qalandars suffer major blow ahead of Peshawar Zalmi clash

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars have been dealt a significant setback in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign, with Bangladesh top-order batter Parvez Hossain Emon ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a shoulder injury.

Emon sustained the injury during Qalandars’ clash against Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium on April 3, following an on-field collision with teammate Asif Ali.

Subsequent MRI scans revealed a ligament tear, forcing the medical staff to recommend a period of rest and rehabilitation.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

As a precaution, the left-handed batter had already missed the April 9 fixture against Islamabad United to avoid aggravating the injury.

After further assessment, the franchise has now decided to release him from the squad, with a replacement expected to be announced soon.

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In an official statement, the Qalandars confirmed that Parvez Hossain Emon would depart following their match against Peshawar Zalmi today, while extending their full support during his recovery process.

Despite his brief stint, Emon made a notable impact at the top of the order. He featured in three matches, scoring 71 runs at an impressive strike rate of 161.36, including a fluent 45-run knock against Multan Sultans that highlighted his attacking intent.

READ: Glenn Maxwell joins Hyderabad Kingsmen ahead of Karachi Kings clash

KARACHI: Lahore Qalandars have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Peshawar Zalmi in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 here at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. 

Playing XIs

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Asif Ali, Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Dunith Wellalage, Usama Mir, Mustafizur Rahman, Ubaid Shah

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Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Kusal Mendis, Farhan Yousaf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Aamer Jamal, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

HEAD TO HEAD

Karachi and Quetta have faced each other in 20 matches, with the latter holding a lead with 13 victories. Meanwhile, the Kings have secured seven wins.

Matches 22, Lahore Qalandars 9, Peshawar Zalmi 11, Tied 1, NR 1

DHAKA: Bangladesh have named an unchanged squad for the opening two ODI matches against New Zealand, with Peshawar Zalmi pacers Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam retaining their spots following their recent involvement in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

The 15-member squad, announced by the new selection panel headed by Habibul Bashar, will continue under the leadership of Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

The selectors have opted to stick with the same group that secured a 2-1 ODI series victory over Pakistan at home last month.

The first two ODIs are scheduled to be played in Dhaka on April 17 and 20, while the third and final match will take place in Chattogram on April 23, followed by a three-match T20I series.

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In a notable move, the selectors have resisted their recent trend of rotating fast bowlers, instead backing a consistent pace attack comprising Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam.

Several members of the squad are currently featuring in the PSL, underlining the growing overlap between international and franchise commitments.

Alongside Nahid and Shoriful, Rishad Hossain (Rawalpindiz), Tanzid Hasan (Peshawar Zalmi) and Mustafizur Rahman (Lahore Qalandars) are also part of the ongoing tournament.

Bangladesh squad for ODI series against New Zealand:

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana.

READ: Glenn Maxwell joins Hyderabad Kingsmen ahead of Karachi Kings clash

KARACHI: Glenn Maxwell has arrived in Pakistan and linked up with Hyderabad Kingsmen ahead of their crucial Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 fixture against Karachi Kings on Saturday.

The franchise confirmed the Australian all-rounder’s arrival through their official social media platforms, sharing a picture of Maxwell settling into his hotel room with a caption welcoming their high-profile addition.

Maxwell, widely regarded as one of the most explosive T20 players in modern cricket, is set to make his PSL debut this season, bringing both experience and firepower to a struggling Kingsmen outfit.

The right-handed batter boasts an impressive T20I record, having scored 2897 runs in 129 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 158.42, including five centuries and 12 half-centuries. His all-round credentials further strengthen his value, with 49 wickets to his name in the format.

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In 503 T20 matches, he has accumulated 10986 runs at a strike rate exceeding 154, alongside 196 wickets, making him one of the most sought-after players in leagues around the world, including the Big Bash League (BBL), Indian Premier League (IPL), The Hundred and the Vitality Blast.

His arrival comes at a critical juncture for the Marnus Labuschagne-led Kingsmen, who are yet to register a win in the ongoing season. The side has endured a tough start, losing all four of their matches and sitting near the bottom of the points table with a negative net run rate.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan opens up after Rawalpindiz fifth straight loss