Babar Azam struck an unbeaten hundred to lead Peshawar Zalmi to an emphatic 118-run victory over Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 19. The Pakistan batter brought up his 12th T20 century and helped Zalmi post a commanding total, securing not only a big win but also confirmation of a top-two finish after already booking a place in the playoffs.
Dominant start and a massive platform
- The chase looked like it would be chaotic from the opening moment, with Mohammad Haris smashing two sixes and a four in the very first over.
- Haris was dismissed in the following over, but Kusal Mendis stepped in and took control during the Powerplay, keeping the scoring rate high.
- Babar Azam found rhythm as well, hitting consecutive boundaries off Abrar Ahmed while Kusal struck two sixes against Alzarri Joseph.
- Zalmi accelerated rapidly, reaching 74/1 in just five overs, with both ends contributing and the run-fest firmly underway.
- After the Powerplay, the momentum did not fade. Kusal welcomed Saud Shakeel into the attack with a 16-run over, further widening the gap.
- Babar stayed steady at one end while Kusal continued to punish the bowlers, firing plenty of boundaries and raising his half-century in the process.
- The century partnership finally ended when Kusal fell short of a ton—Usman Tariq denied him with a superb piece of fielding as the Sri Lankan miscued a pull shot for 83 off 44 balls.
- Even after that wicket, the intent remained unchanged. Every batter who came in looked to attack rather than rotate, keeping the pressure on Quetta.
- Farhan Yousuf added a quick cameo, and once he departed, Babar stepped on the accelerator, launching two sixes in four deliveries.
- Babar then exploded again, going from 62 off 39 to 94 off 48 in a burst that flipped the innings decisively towards a total beyond 250.
- Aaron Hardie tried to push Zalmi even further, helping set the stage for Babar to finish the job.
- With two needed off the final ball for his century, Babar drove towards long-on, sprinted through for a double, and completed his third three-figure score in PSL history.
Quetta’s chase derailed early
- Chasing 256, Quetta got off to a poor start, managing only six runs from the first two overs—completely unlike the opening surge Zalmi had produced.
- Mohammad Basit struck key blows, removing Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw in successive deliveries.
- By the end of the Powerplay, Quetta were struggling at 42/3.
- Michael Bracewell delivered an immediate impact in the seventh over, effectively turning the contest into a formality.
- Wickets kept tumbling, with Hardie contributing two more in a single over to accelerate the collapse.
- For a brief moment, Bevon Jacobs’ efforts with three sixes offered a flicker of resistance, but the chase was already beyond reach.
- Quetta were bowled out in the penultimate over for 137, handing Zalmi a comprehensive win.
Quetta Gladiators remain tied with three other teams on six points, though they have played an extra match. Brief scores: Peshawar Zalmi 255/3 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 100*, Kusal Mendis 83, Abrar Ahmed 1-44) beat Quetta Gladiators 137 in 18.1 overs (Bevon Jacobs 34; Ali Raza 3-9, Mohammad Basit 3-26) by 118 runs.
