KARACHI: Karachi Kings captain David Warner remained optimistic despite his side suffering a heavy defeat against Peshawar Zalmi in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium.
Karachi Kings endured a challenging outing as Peshawar Zalmi posted a record 246-3, powered by a dominant 191-run partnership between Kusal Mendis (109) and Babar Azam (87*). In reply, the Kings were bowled out for 87, resulting in a 159-run defeat, their first of the HBL PSL 11 campaign.
Speaking after the match, Warner acknowledged that the team’s bowling execution fell short, particularly during the middle overs.
“I think our decision to bowl first was what we wanted to do and intended to do. But when you allow two stroke-makers time to settle and hit boundaries consistently every over, it becomes really difficult to pull things back,” Warner said at the post-match presentation.
He felt the contest was still within reach midway through the innings before a costly phase shifted the momentum decisively.
“At the 10-over mark, I thought we were still in the game, but in the next three overs, they scored around 50 to 60 runs, which is unacceptable at this level,” he added.
The Karachi Kings skipper also pointed out that while there were glimpses of positivity early on, the opposition capitalised effectively.
“In the first six overs, you’ve got to try and stay positive. A couple of good balls led to wickets, and there was also some good fielding in the outfield. But credit to them, they came out and put serious runs on the board.”
Reflecting on the steep chase, Warner admitted it was always going to be a difficult task against such a formidable total.
Despite the setback, David Warner remained confident in the squad’s ability to bounce back, stressing the importance of learning from the defeat.
“In tournaments like these, sometimes you need a loss like this to bring the energy back into the group. When you’ve had six or seven days off, it can take a bit of time to get back into rhythm,” he stated.
He concluded on a positive note, backing the team to regroup and respond strongly in the upcoming fixtures.
“The boys are in good spirits, we’ve got a great group, and we will take the positives. We will enjoy tomorrow off and come back stronger.”
