Peshawar Zalmi Dominates: Babar Azam 71 Keeps Peshawar Unbeaten!

Match Summary: Peshawar Zalmi 156 for 2 (Babar Azam 71*, Mohammad Haris 35, Kusal Mendis 21, Aaron Hardie18*) beat Quetta Gladiators 154 all out (Hassan Nawaz 37, Khawaja Nafay 20, Rilee Rossouw 26; Sufiyan Muqeem 3-25, Basit Ali 3-36, Iftikhar Ahmed 1-20) by 8 wickets.

Player of the Match: Sufiyan Muqeem (3 wickets for 25 runs).

Peshawar Zalmi Dominates: Babar Azam 71 Keeps Peshawar Unbeaten!

In the 11th season of Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi's team has become such a 'wind' that no one seems capable of stopping it. In the 23rd match played at National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Zalmi has strengthened its position on the points table by outclassing its old rivals, Quetta Gladiators. The special thing about this match was the brilliant batting of captain Babar Azam and the devastating bowling of young spinner Sufian Muqeem. The Toss Decision and Quetta's Troubles

The match turned in Peshawar Zalmi's favor when captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first. Ahsan Ali and Saud Shakeel opened the innings for Quetta Gladiators, but Zalmi's bowlers maintained pressure from the outset. Ahsan Ali was dismissed by Iftikhar Ahmed for just 4 runs. Quetta's middle-order batsman Hassan Nawaz tried his best to score 37 runs, but the team was all out for 154 in 20 overs.

Peshawar Zalmi Playing 11:

Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (WK), Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit Ali, Ali Raza.

Quetta Gladiators Playing 11:

Saud Shakeel (C), Shamyl Hussain, Rilee Rossouw, Hassan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Tom Curran, Jahandad Khan, Ahsan Ali, Alzarri Joseph, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.

Sufian Muqeem's Magical Bowling

Young leg-spinner Sufian Muqeem once again proved his trump card for Zalmi. He conceded just 25 runs in his four overs, taking three crucial wickets and shattering Quetta's batting lineup. His impressive performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

King Babar Azam's 'Not Out' 71-run innings

Chasing the target, Babar Azam once again displayed his King form. He played an unbeaten innings of 71 runs off 51 balls, hitting 10 fours. After this innings, Babar Azam has become the second-highest run scorer in PSL 11 (301 runs), while Kusal Mendis is at the first position with 330 runs. Watching Babar's batting, it seemed as if he was batting on a different pitch, where the ball was coming to his bat automatically.

This match was also a test for Peshawar Zalmi as two of their main Bangladeshi fast bowlers, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana, have returned to their country to prepare for the series against New Zealand. However, Zalmi's bowling and fielding haven't suffered in his absence. Zalmi are currently unbeaten in PSL 11.

Basit Ali's Brilliant Debut and Ali Raza's Powerful Bowling

Peshawar Zalmi's young fast bowlers, Mohammad Basit Ali and Ali Raza, bowled truly brilliantly and restricted Quetta Gladiators to a low total. The highlight of this match was Mohammad Basit Ali's debut for Peshawar Zalmi, and he bowled with utmost discipline in his very first match, conceding 28 runs in his four overs and taking the crucial wicket of Hassan Nawaz. Ali Raza, on the other hand, provided excellent support, conceding 31 runs in his four overs and dismissing the dangerous Rilee Rossouw. Together, these two youngsters put pressure on Quetta's batting line-up and, in the absence of Bangladeshi players, proved that Zalmi's bench strength is quite strong.

Iftikhar Ahmed's explosive bowling and powerplay magic in PSL 11

Iftikhar Ahmed impressed everyone with his aggressive bowling for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 11. His spell against Quetta Gladiators was absolutely steady, where he conceded just 20 runs in his four overs and took one important wicket. In the very heat of the match, he dismissed Ahsan Ali in his first over, shaking the Gladiators' batting line-up and putting immense pressure on them. Iftikhar's biggest speciality this season has been his wicket-taking in the powerplay, where he is providing breakthroughs in every match with the new ball. So far, he is among the top bowlers with 10 wickets in 5 matches. His lethal bowling and low economy rate has put Peshawar Zalmi in a strong position in the tournament.