Match Center

Right then, that is it from this match, where Islamabad United got a resounding victory against Peshawar Zalmi. The next match in the Pakistan Super League 2024 will be between the Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi and will be played on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). You can join us way before that for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Shadab Khan, the skipper of Islamabad United, is also the Player of the Match. He says that the pitch has some turn and seam early in the game. He adds that they didn't have a specific total and wanted to score as many runs as possible. He says that the pitch had some seam, it was difficult to bat and they had some good bowlers on their side. He mentions that they have a great team. He ends by saying that Hunain Shah is getting better with time and he is happy with the win.

Babar Azam The skipper of Peshawar Zalmi reflected on his team's performance, acknowledging the loss of wickets at the top which affected their chase. He described the target set by the opposition as a par score, emphasizing the importance of a good start in the powerplay. Despite the challenges faced, Babar praised Jamal's innings and expressed that although it was an interesting match, no significant damage was incurred. Regarding his run-out, Babar admitted it was a wrong call on his part but affirmed his confidence in the decision to chase. He cited the ease of chasing in Rawalpindi and highlighted the team's batting strength despite the wickets lost at intervals. Babar also noted the positives from the match, particularly Aamer's performance and the early wickets secured by the bowling unit.

Presentations coming up...

In a quick interview with Hunain Shah, he expressed gratitude towards Allah for the opportunity presented to him. He acknowledged the support received from his teammates at Islamabad United, expressing happiness at being able to perform well for his team. He praised Naseem's performance in the first over and outlined his own strategy of bowling simple, hard lengths to reap rewards.

Earlier in the match, Islamabad United scored 196/4 in their first inning. Saim Ayub's early breakthrough of dismissing Alex Hales and Colin Munro had set the tone for Islamabad United but Shadab Khan had different plans. His impressive 80 off 51 led the recovery, supported by Salman Ali Agha, Jordan Cox, and Azam Khan. Their collective effort showcased adaptability and resilience and made Islamabad United reach a par total of 196 runs on what was a bowler's graveyard.

Peshawar Zalmi didn't begin the chase well. They lost their skipper for a duck and after that, none of the batters seemed to really get in and kept giving away their wickets, and the required rate kept jumping up. Aamer Jamal and Paul Walter then joined hands and played a gem of an innings towards the end. They both stitched a partnership of 107 off just 66 but the damage had already been done, and the game had slipped too far out of reach for the Peshawar Zalmi to mount any significant comeback. Paul Walter fell to 33, while Aamer Jamal was dismissed after scoring 87 off just 49 deliveries.

What a dominant performance this has been from Islamabad United! They have outclassed Peshawar Zalmi to make their way into third place on the points table. Islamabad United would be absolutely thrilled with how they started their bowling attack. It was Naseem Shah at the start who set the tone for them, as he got both the Peshawar Zalmi openers in his very first over. They then kept picking wickets at timely intervals and kept the pressure on. While the partnership of Walter-Jamal posed a slight hiccup for Islamabad United, the foundation laid by their bowlers at the start was way good, which made sure the required rate was always way too high and out of reach of the Peshawar Zalmi batters.

Nails another yorker on the stumps and Arif Yaqoob drives it to long on and jogs for a single to end the game. Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs!

Pitches the ball up on the stumps again and Salman Irshad taps it to mid-wicket for a single.

WIDE! Slower ball outside the line of the leg stump. Wide called.

Short and wide outside the off stump. Arif Yaqoob puts it in the sweepers gap and takes a run.

Pitches it up on the stumps. Salman Irshad drives the ball to long on and takes a run.

Pitches the ball full and outside the off stump. Arif Yaqoob drives it to covers and runs a single.

Low full toss on the off stump. Salman Irshad drives it to long off and takes a run.

Pitches the ball up outside the off stump. Arif Yaqoob drives the ball straight to covers to end the over.

SIX! Slogged away for a MAXIMUM! Slower ball from a good length on the leg stump and Arif Yaqoob slogs it with superb timing and clears deep square leg boundary for six runs. Superb catch outside the boundary lines by the ball boy.