In a thrilling encounter of the 13th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9, Peshawar Zalmi clinched a victory against Islamabad United, thanks to a destructive over by Arif Yaqoob. Despite a competitive effort from Islamabad United, Arif Yaqoob's remarkable 19th over turned the tide in favor of Peshawar Zalmi.
Islamabad United's pursuit of the target was disappointing as none of their top-order batsmen, except for Colin Munro, could deliver. Middle-order batsman Azam Khan showcased a spectacular innings, smashing 75 runs off just 30 deliveries, including 6 fours and 6 sixes. Alongside, opener Colin Munro remained notable with 71 runs off 53 balls, comprising 7 fours and a six. However, apart from them, no other batsman could make an impact on the crease.
On the other hand, Peshawar Zalmi's young bowler Arif Yaqoob emerged as the hero, restricting Islamabad United to a mere 27 runs in the allotted 4 overs and paving the way for victory. In the nail-biting final moments of the match, Yaqoob claimed 4 wickets by conceding just 2 runs in a single over. Additionally, Saqib Mahmood, Liam Wood, Noor Ahmed, and Salman Irshad each secured a wicket.
From Peshawar Zalmi's batting lineup, captain Babar Azam stood out with a brilliant display, scoring an unbeaten 111 runs off 63 balls, including 14 fours and 2 sixes. Opener Saqib Mahmood contributed with aggressive batting, crafting 34 runs off 21 balls, supported by Asif Ali who scored 17 runs off 9 balls before being dismissed.
Overall, Peshawar Zalmi's dominant performance with both bat and ball secured a convincing victory against Islamabad United in the PSL Season 9 encounter.
On a big achievement of Babar Azam in the PSL, owner of the Peshawar Zalmi team Javed Afridi announced to give a car gift to him for scoring a century against Islamabad United.
Babar Azam has been given the first vehicle of the new model in Pakistan as he has scored 111 runs against Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium.
In his message on social media, Peshawar Zalmi's owner Javed Afridi announced the gift of a car to Babar Azam.
Babar Azam scored his 11th century in T20 cricket in PSL-9 and reached the second place among the scorers of the most centuries in T20 cricket.
Playing XIs
Peshawar Zalmi: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Haseebullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Asif Ali, Paul Walter, Luke Wood, Naveen-ul-Haq, Arif Yaqoob, Salman Irshad
Islamabad United: Haider Ali, Colin Munro, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Jordan Cox, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Tymal Mills
Score Card