2 weeks Ago By Azhar Khan
LAHORE - Peshawar Zalmi launched the Lahore leg of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 with a resounding seven-wicket victory over home side Lahore Qalandars at the crowded Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night. It was the brilliance of Zalmi skipper Babar Azam that turned the tide in favour of the visitors. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 56 off 42 balls, laced with seven classy fours and one towering six.
His match-defining 93-run partnership with Hussain Talat not only stabilized the chase but sealed the win with utmost dominance, taking Zalmi home in just 16.4 overs. Earlier, Lahore Qalandars won the toss and opted to bat first.
However, their innings never really got going as they collapsed to 129 all out in 19.2 overs, despite a fighting half-century from Sikandar Raza, who scored 52 off 37 balls including five boundaries and three sixes. Lahore’s top order was dismantled early on, with Alzarri Joseph and Luke Wood tearing through their batting line-up.
Tokyo’s newest art star: one-year-old Thumbelina Joseph returned outstanding figures of 3-15, while Wood chipped in with 2-25. The Qalandars were reduced to 44/6 by the seventh over, and it was only a late flurry by Sikandar Raza and brief cameos from Shaheen Shah Afridi (16) and Rishad Hossain (13) that helped them reach a modest total. The second innings started shakily for Zalmi as Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore departed early, with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf striking in their opening spells.
With the scoreboard reading just 7/2, pressure began to mount on the visitors. However, Babar Azam held his nerve, anchoring the innings in his signature composed style. Mohammad Haris chipped in with a breezy 20 off 16 balls, hitting two boundaries and two sixes, before falling to Shaheen.
It was then that Hussain Talat joined Babar at the crease. The left-hander displayed aggressive intent and superb timing, smashing 51 not out off 37 deliveries, including five fours and a six. Together, they took on the Qalandars’ bowlers with calculated aggression and finished the game with 20 balls to spare.
None of the Qalandars’ bowlers, barring Shaheen Shah Afridi (2/22), managed to apply sustained pressure. Haris Rauf was particularly expensive, conceding 39 runs in just 3.4 overs.
The defeat further dented the defending champions’ PSL 10 campaign, while Zalmi moved up in the standings with a convincing victory. Harry, Meghan call for stronger social media protections Scores in Brief LAHORE QALANDARS 129 all out in 19.2 overs Sikandar Raza 52, Shaheen Afridi 16; Alzarri Joseph 3/15, Luke Wood 2/25) beat PESHAWAR ZALMI 133/3 in 16.
4 overs (Babar Azam 56*, Hussain Talat 51*; Shaheen Afridi 2/22, Haris Rauf 1/39) by 7 wickets. Tags: peshawar zalmi thump.
