Peshawar Zalmi secured a convincing 76-run victory over Quetta Gladiators at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, powered by a stellar performance from Babar Azam, who hammered a rapid half-century, dominating the Quetta bowlers throughout the match.
The Zalmi opening batsmen displayed remarkable aggression in the first innings, led by Saim Ayub, who set a new record for the most sixes (17) in a single PSL 9 season, smashing 30 runs off just 12 balls.
Rovman Powell contributed a composed 28 runs with four boundaries, while Tom Kohler Cadmore showcased his prowess with a brisk 33 runs at a striking pace of 173.68.
Quetta’s decision to exclude Sarfaraz from the lineup was unexpected, indicating a strategy shift by skipper Rilee Rossouw, possibly to assess the team’s bench strength.
Akeal Hossein exhibited exceptional discipline in his bowling, clinching the first-ever hat-trick in PSL history and finishing with impressive figures of 4-25.
SEE FULL SCHEDULE — 2024 PSL Schedule: Fixtures for Pakistan Super League (PSL 9)
In response, Saim Ayub’s crucial wickets of Rilee Rossouw and Khwaja Naffay disrupted Quetta’s middle order, while Luke Wood also impressed with figures of 2-21 in three overs.
Mehran Mumtaz emerged as the standout bowler, claiming 2 wickets for a mere 22 runs in his four overs.
Ultimately, the yellow storm of Zalmi overwhelmed the Gladiators as they collapsed to a dismal total of 120 runs, being bowled out in the 18th over.
Saim Ayub was rightfully awarded the Man of the Match for his electrifying performance with the bat.
