PESHAWAR: Peshawar Zalmi captain and star batsman Babar Azam set a record by batting brilliantly against Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) XI qualifier.
Babar Azam not only supported his team by playing a smoky innings of 103 runs but also equalled two big records in PSL history.
Babar Azam’s innings included 4 towering sixes and 12 breath-taking fours. This is his second century this season and his fourth in PSL overall, with which he has joined Usman Khan in the list of players who have scored the most centuries in the league. Earlier, Usman Khan of Hyderabad Kingsmen also achieved the distinction of scoring 4 centuries in PSL.
The series of records does not end here, Babar Azam has also equalled Fakhar Zaman’s record of scoring the most runs in a single edition of PSL. Babar Azam has so far scored 588 runs in the current tournament, which is equal to Fakhar Zaman’s 588 runs scored in 2022.
In addition, Babar Azam has become the only batsman in PSL history to score 500 or more runs in four different seasons.
Peshawar Zalmi defeat Islamabad United, secure place in final
Meanwhile, in the first qualifier of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Islamabad United by 70 runs in a one-sided match, securing their spot in the final.
This crucial match took place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where Peshawar Zalmi’s captain, Babar Azam, emerged as the hero of the victory, playing a pivotal role by scoring a brilliant century.
Islamabad United’s captain, Shadab Khan, won the toss and chose to invite Peshawar Zalmi to bat first, a decision that proved costly. Zalmi set an imposing total of 221 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Babar Azam delivered a stunning innings, scoring 103 runs off 59 balls, which included 4 sixes and 12 fours. This marked Babar’s 13th century in T20 internationals and his fourth in the PSL, tying him for the record of most centuries in the league. Alongside him, Kaushal Mendis contributed 41 runs, while Mohammad Haris added 35 runs.
For Islamabad United, Shadab Khan took 3 wickets, and Richard Gleeson picked up 2 wickets, but they were unable to contain Zalmi’s batsmen.
Chasing a challenging target of 222 runs, Islamabad United struggled to find their footing and were bowled out for 151 runs under pressure. Peshawar Zalmi’s well-executed bowling made it difficult for the United batsmen to stay at the crease, leading to a decisive victory of 70 runs.
It’s important to note that Islamabad United has not been eliminated from the tournament. Although they lost the qualifier, they will have another opportunity to reach the final against the winner of the Eliminator.
