Peshawar Wins Last-Ball Epic After Iftikhar and Muqeem Decimate Hyderabad Kingsmen

KARACHI: In a nail-biting encounter that went down to the final delivery, Peshawar Zalmi secured a nerve-wracking four-wicket victory over the Hyderabad Kingsmen at the National Stadium, Karachi. 

After Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to field, the decision paid immediate dividends through a historic spell by Iftikhar Ahmed. The veteran off-spinner turned the match on its head during a sensational fifth over, where he dismantled the Kingsmen’s top order by claiming three wickets in a single over. 

Hyderabad, reeling at 47/4 within the powerplay, looked set for a collapse before Kusal Perera launched a gritty counter-attack. Perera’s blistering 58 off 35 balls served as the backbone of the Kingsmen's innings. He found Marnus Labuschagne's support, who played a steady hand of 27 off 27. 

However, just as Hyderabad looked to shift gears for a big finish, Sufiyan Muqeem delivered a knockout blow in the middle overs. The young left-arm wrist-spinner matched Iftikhar’s heroics by ripping through the lower order. Muqeem’s clinical figures of 4-32, combined with Iftikhar’s career-best 4-21, ensured that Hyderabad was bowled out for 145 in 18.2 overs. 

This is the first time in PSL 11 that two bowlers of the same team have completed 4-wicket hauls. 

The chase was far from a foregone conclusion as the Karachi pitch continued to provide turn and bounce. After losing Mohammad Haris (11 off 6) early, Babar Azam started to play calm innings. Displaying his trademark elegance and composure, Babar scored crucial 43 off 37. Kusal Mendis supported him well with 27 off 23. 

Despite their controlled start, the Kingsmen's bowlers struck back with timely breakthroughs. The atmosphere reached a fever pitch as the match entered the final over with Peshawar needing double digits to seal the win. 

In a classic PSL thriller, the pendulum swung back and forth as the Kingsmen's death bowlers nailed their yorkers. This made it difficult for Zalmi batters to score runs. However, under immense pressure, the Peshawar lower order held their nerve to scramble across the line on the very last delivery. They finished with 146/6 in 20 overs.

The victory catapulted Peshawar Zalmi up the standings. For Hyderabad Kingsmen, this is another defeat in a row. 

Iftikhar Ahmed was named as the Player of the Match for his game-changing opening spell.