Babar stars as Zalmi crush Islamabad by 70 runs to reach PSL 11 final
Peshawar Zalmi stormed into the final of the Pakistan Super League Season 11 after a commanding 70-run victory over Islamabad United in the first PSL qualifier played at National Bank Stadium, Karachi, on Tuesday.
Put into bat after Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan won the toss and opted to field, Zalmi piled up a strong 221-7 in their 20 overs, led by a superb century from Babar Azam.
Babar led from the front with a commanding 103 off 59 balls, marking his 13th century in T20 cricket and fourth in the PSL.
His innings anchored Zalmi’s total and kept the scoreboard moving despite regular breakthroughs.
Support came from Mohammad Haris, who scored 35, Kusal Mendis with 41, and Aaron Hardie, who added 20 runs.
For Islamabad United, Shadab Khan was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Richard Gleeson claimed two.
In response, Islamabad United’s chase never gained momentum as they were bowled out for 151, falling well short of the 222-run target and handing Zalmi a comprehensive victory.
Sameer Minhas led the scoring with 44 runs, while Mohsin Riaz added 25 and Devon Conway chipped in with 20 to bolster the innings.
All-rounder Aaron Hardie contributed 24 runs and made a significant impact with the ball, claiming three wickets.
Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit picked up two wickets each.
This is the fifth time PesharZalmi reached the PSL final.
The result secures Peshawar Zalmi a place in the PSL 11 final, while Islamabad United remain alive in the competition and will get another opportunity to reach the title match through the playoff route.
Playing XIs
Peshawar Zalmi XI: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Basit Ali
Islamabad United XI: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (capt), Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain, Richard Gleeson