Peshawar Zalmi edge Rawalpindi by five wickets in PSL 11 thriller
Peshawar Zalmi clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory over Rawalpindi in the third match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
After being set 215 to win, Peshawar reached the target with five wickets down, producing a composed and aggressive batting display to seal one of the most thrilling finishes of the tournament so far.
Mohammad Haris laid the foundation with a brisk 47, while captain Babar Azam added 39 in a steady top-order contribution.
Kusal Mendis chipped in with 31, and Abdul Samad struck a quickfire 33 to keep the chase on course as Rawalpindi’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring rate.
M Haris - 47(28)
— usman (@cricbyusman) March 28, 2026
Babar Azam - 39(28)
K Mendis - 35(17)
Michael Bracwell - 36*(18)
PESHAWAR ZALMI BEAT PINDIZ BY 5 WICKETS..!!!pic.twitter.com/A3ULI0yYXf
Bracewell then played the decisive hand, smashing 35 runs to guide Peshawar over the line and complete the successful chase.
For Rawalpindi, Imad Butt was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Mohammad Amir, Asif Afridi, and Rishad Hussain claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, Rawalpindi had posted an imposing 214 for four after electing to bat first.
Pindies batters piled up runs at a brisk pace throughout their 20 overs to put Peshawar under immediate pressure in a high-scoring contest.
Yasir Khan led the charge with a fluent 83, anchoring the innings and providing the platform for a formidable total.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan chipped in with 41, while Daryl Mitchell added 23 and Sam Billings contributed 18 as Rawalpindi finished strongly.
Yasir Khan – 83 (46)
— Khan (@ccricket713) March 28, 2026
Mohammad Rizwan – 41 (32)
Kamran Ghulam – 37 (20)
Daryl Mitchell – 23 (11)
Sam Billings – 18 (8)*
Pindiz post 214/4 in 20 overs against Peshawar Zalmi. #PZvRPpic.twitter.com/j4RRGuoO5w
Peshawar Zalmi’s Ali Raza was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets, but his side struggled to contain Rawalpindi’s aggressive batting line-up as the innings gathered momentum.
Earlier, Rawalpindi won the toss and decided to bat first against Peshawar Zalmi.
Zalmi, the 2017 champions, and Pindiz are facing each other for the first time as the new side is making its debut in PSL history.
Squads
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris (wk), Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, Tanzid Hasan, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Kashif Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Farhan Yousuf, Brian Bennett, Mohammad Basit and Shoriful Islam.
RawalPindiz: Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Sam Billings, Jalat Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrestor, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Razaullah, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan, Cole McConchie, Usman Khawaja, and Saad Masood.