KARACHI: In the qualifier of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, Peshawar Zalmi delivered a dominant performance to defeat Islamabad United by 70 runs and secure their place in the final.
The match, played in Karachi, saw Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan winning the toss and opting to field first. However, the decision did not pay off as Zalmi’s batting lineup put up a commanding total.
Peshawar Zalmi posted 221 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The highlight of the innings was a brilliant century by skipper Babar Azam, who scored 103 runs off 59 balls. This marked his 13th T20 century and his fourth in PSL history, further cementing his reputation as one of the tournament’s most consistent performers.
Supporting contributions came from Mohammad Haris, who scored 35 runs, and Kushal Mendis, who added 41 runs. Aaron Hardy also chipped in with a quick 20 runs to push the total beyond the 220 mark.
For Islamabad United, Shadab Khan was the standout bowler with 3 wickets, while Richard Gleeson picked up 2 wickets, but the bowling unit struggled to contain Zalmi’s aggressive batting approach.
In response, Islamabad United failed to build momentum in their chase of 222 runs. The team was eventually bowled out for 151 runs, falling well short of the target.
Samir Minhas was the top scorer for United with 44 runs, but lacked support from the other end as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.
Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling attack was equally impressive, with Aaron Hardy taking 3 wickets, while Sufyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit claimed 2 wickets each, ensuring a comfortable victory for their side.
With this win, Peshawar Zalmi have qualified for the PSL 11 final for the fifth time, becoming the franchise with the most final appearances in the league’s history.
Despite the defeat, Islamabad United are not yet eliminated from the tournament. They still have another opportunity to stay in contention as they will face the loser of the Eliminator 2 match between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans on Friday.
