Babar Azam's Peshawar Zalmi was on March 16 (Saturday) eliminated from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and, as a result, their hopes of winning the title came to a crashing end. In the second eliminator match, Islamabad United defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 5 wickets, securing their spot in the final against Multan Sultans.
Babar's team had finished the league stage in second place, right behind Multan Sultans, and had advanced to the qualifier. However, Multan clinched a victory by seven wickets in that match, thereby earning their place in the final. Peshawar Zalmi had another chance to reach the final but fell short against Islamabad in the second eliminator.
Saim Ayub stars with the bat for Peshawar
Batting first, Peshawar Zalmi posted a challenging score of 185/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub led the scoring for Peshawar Zalmi with an impressive 73 runs off 44 balls with the help of six fours and four sixes. Captain Babar Azam contributed 25 runs from 22 balls with the help of two fours and a six.
Mohammad Haris played an attractive cameo of 40 runs in 25 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes. A late flourish from Aamer Jamal (17 not out off 9 balls) helped Peshawar cross the 180-run mark.
From Islamabad United, Naseem Shah stood out with his bowling, taking three wickets for just 30 runs. Imad Wasim also delivered a stellar bowling performance, albeit without taking any wickets, but conceded only 23 runs in his four overs. Obed McCoy and Shadab Khan picked up a wicket each.
Imad Wasim plays the match-winning knock
Imad Wasim played an instrumental role in taking his team to the promised land. When Islamabad was tottering at 21/3, Wasim walked out to salvage their run chase and took his team home, remaining unbeaten 59 runs from 40 balls with the help of nine fours. Haider Ali also played a significant role, scoring an unbeaten 52 runs from 29 balls with the help of two fours and five sixes. As a result, Islamabad United reached their target of 186 runs in just 19 overs, with five wickets in hand.
The victory for Islamabad United sets the stage for an exciting final against Mohammad Rizwan's Multan Sultans. The final is scheduled to take place in Karachi on Monday (March 18).
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Big blow to Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024, Rs 3.6 crore recruit unlikely for upcoming season, confirms head coach Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra drops truth bomb on Hardik Pandya's move from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, says ‘I never tried to convince...’
