A brilliant century from Kusal Mendis and a classy knock by Babar Azam, followed by a dominant bowling performance, powered Peshawar Zalmi to a crushing 159-run win over Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super League 2026.
Chasing a massive 247-run target, Karachi Kings collapsed for just 87 in 16.1 overs, suffering their first defeat of the tournament in emphatic fashion.
Azam Khan was the top scorer for Karachi with a slow 25 off 27 balls. Saad Baig made 14, while Khushdil Shah added 10. The rest of the batting lineup failed to offer resistance as Zalmi’s bowlers ran through them with ease.
Nahid Rana, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Iftikhar Ahmed took three wickets each, while Shoriful Islam chipped in with one.
Earlier, Zalmi piled up a massive 246/3 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first — now the highest total at the National Bank Stadium in PSL history. It also became Zalmi’s highest-ever total and the sixth-highest team score in PSL history.
Highest Total in PSL History
| Rank | Team | Total | Opponent | Year |
| 1 | Quetta Gladiators | 263/3 | Islamabad United | 2025 |
| 2 | Multan Sultans | 262/3 | Quetta Gladiators | 2023 |
| 3 | Quetta Gladiators | 253/8 | Multan Sultans | 2023 |
| 4 | Islamabad United | 251/5 | Karachi Kings | 2025 |
| 5 | Islamabad United | 247/2 | Peshawar Zalmi | 2021 |
| 6 | Peshawar Zalmi | 246/3 | Karachi Kings | 2026 |
Zalmi’s innings started poorly when Mohammad Haris was dismissed for a duck on the second ball. However, that early blow set the stage for a record-breaking partnership.
Mendis and Babar put together a stunning 191-run stand for the second wicket — now the highest partnership for any wicket in PSL history, surpassing the previous record of 176, which also featured Babar.
Highest Partnership in PSL
| Rank | Players | Team | Partnership | Opponent | Year |
| 1 | Kusal Mendis and Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 191 runs | Karachi Kings | 2026 |
| 2 | Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam | Karachi Kings | 176 runs | Islamabad United | 2021 |
| 3 | Saim Ayub and Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 162 runs | Quetta Gladiators | 2023 |
| 4 | David Warner and JM Vince | Karachi Kings | 162 runs | Peshawar Zalmi | 2025 |
| 5 | Liam Livingstone and Babar Azam | Karachi Kings | 157 runs | Multan Sultans | 2019 |
Mendis led the charge with a blistering 109 off 52 balls, smashing 14 fours and four sixes before being dismissed in the 17th over by Abbas Afridi.
Babar Azam anchored the innings brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 87 from 51 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. He later added a quick 49-run stand with Abdul Samad, who scored a rapid 40 off just 12 balls.
Babar also reached a major milestone, becoming the fastest player in men’s T20 history to score 12,000 runs, achieving the feat in just 338 innings.
For Karachi, Abbas Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 55, while Khushdil Shah took one wicket.
Overall, it was a dominant, record-breaking performance by Peshawar Zalmi, marking one of the most emphatic wins of the season.
