At the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Lahore Qalandars by 35 runs in the 23rd game of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The Qalandars were all out for 172 runs in 19.4 overs while chasing a goal of 208 runs.
The outcome also eliminates Karachi Kings from contention for the playoffs.
Shawaiz Irfan, the Qalandars’ opener, was bowled by Arshad Iqbal for a duck in the first over of the run chase.
Fakhar Zaman, who had been averaging 11 runs per ball, misplayed a pull shot and gave Wahab Riaz his first wicket. The very next ball, the skilled Riaz sent Sam Billings fleeing for a golden duck.
After firing the in-form Abdullah Shafique, Azmatullah Omarzai joined in on the fun as well. In 12 balls, the right-hander scored seven runs.
During the Qalandars’ batting powerplay, they fell to 24-4. Shaheen Afridi and Hussain Talat, though, put together a 114-run partnership in just 65 balls at this point to give their team a slim hope of achieving the challenging total.
As Shaheen Afridi reached his first fifty, he returned to the pavilion. Three fours and five sixes in 36 balls let him amass 52 runs.
After scoring 63 runs in 37 balls, which included four fours and five sixes, Hussain Talat’s resistance was broken.
Sikandar Raza contributed 20 runs in seven balls during his cameo.
For Zalmi, Arshad Iqbal and Wahab Riaz each claimed two wickets.
Prior to that, Zalmi, who had an explosive start and appeared to be on track for a total of about 230, were dismissed for 207 runs in 19.3 overs.
Babar Azam and Saim Ayub, the opening pair for Zalmi, attacked the opposition, scoring 107 runs in 66 balls.
When he played some breathtaking strokes to all parts of the pitch, Saim appeared to be in excellent form against the Qalandars’ elite bowling assault.
The left-hander needed just 26 balls to go to fifty, scoring seven fours and two sixes in the process.
Saim, however, was struck by Rashid Khan for 68 runs in 36 balls.
Soon after, Mohammad Haris (9) was dismissed for nine runs as Rashid’s second victim. Haris top-edged a sweep shot, and Sikandar Raza took a straightforward catch at third man.
Rashid gave up 41 runs in his allotted four overs despite taking two wickets.
Haris Rauf had his first wicket of the game as Babar went out after hitting 50 runs off of 41 balls. The right-handed player struck two sixes and four fours.
With 36 runs in 16 balls, Tom Kohler-Cadmore gave the innings a boost towards the end.
With stats of 4-31 in four overs, Shaheen Afridi was the Qalandars’ preferred bowler.
Zalmi scored 50 runs in the final five overs before losing eight wickets.
Just twice in the PSL’s eight-year history did all 20 wickets fall in a single game.
Playing XI
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah (wk), Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Wahab Riaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Arshad Iqbal.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Shawaiz Irfan, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), David Wiese, Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.
All class! #HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #PZvLQ pic.twitter.com/oa4YeUWCWW
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 7, 2023
