Zalmi’s Victory Propelled by Babar’s Century and Yaqoob’s Four-Wicket Over against United

Peshawar Zalmi clinched a thrilling victory over Islamabad United in the PSL match held in Lahore, thanks to Babar Azam’s scintillating century and Arif Yaqoob’s remarkable bowling performance. Babar’s unbeaten 111 off 63 deliveries propelled Zalmi to a formidable total of 201 for 5. Despite a strong partnership between Azam Khan (75) and Colin Munro (71), United faltered in the final overs, losing six wickets off the last 13 balls to finish at 193 for 9.

Yaqoob’s sensational four-wicket over, including the crucial dismissal of Munro, turned the tide in Zalmi’s favor. His spell of 5 for 27 left United reeling and secured victory for Zalmi, marking their second consecutive win in as many days. United, on the other hand, suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Naveen-ul-Haq initiated United’s collapse by dismissing Azam Khan in the 18th over, while Yaqoob’s memorable over saw the back of Munro, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, and Hunain Shah. Earlier, Zalmi faced resistance from spinners Shadab Khan and Agha Salman, but Babar’s aggressive innings, which included a rapid half-century followed by his fastest T20 hundred, propelled Zalmi to a commanding total.