Peshawar Zalmi climbed to the summit of the PSL 2026 standings after delivering a dominant 76-run win over Lahore Qalandars in Karachi. Kusal Mendis struck 74 off 48 balls to drive Zalmi to 173/7, while Michael Bracewell provided key finishing impact with the bat and then helped clamp down in the middle overs, bowling 3 for 18 in four spells as Lahore were dismissed for 97 in 17 overs.
Key takeaways
- Zalmi’s innings finished on 173/7, setting Lahore a target of 174.
- Kusal Mendis made 74 from 48 deliveries at a strike rate of 154.17.
- Michael Bracewell’s two-way impact included 21 runs off 10 balls and bowling figures of 3/18.
- Lahore were all out for 97 in 17 overs, handing Zalmi a 76-run victory.
- Shaheen Afridi took 3/22, including the wicket of Mendis during the late phase.
Zalmi’s big stand and a late burst
Mohammad Haris provided the early momentum with a brisk start, contributing all 18 runs of the opening stand before Shaheen Afridi broke through in the third over. Babar Azam then steadied the innings at one end while Mendis took the attack to the other, and the pair built a century stand—109 runs coming in 79 balls—to place Zalmi firmly on course for a commanding total.
Babar fell short of a half-century by seven runs, departing after a 40-ball knock that nevertheless helped steady the innings following an early jolt. Mendis, meanwhile, played in a completely different tempo, striking five fours and four sixes in his 48-ball innings to reach 74.
Bracewell’s finishing touch and the collapse that mattered
Bracewell added momentum in quick time as well, smashing a couple of sixes during a 10-ball cameo worth 21. However, a late wobble prevented the side from pushing beyond 200-plus, as a 5-18 collapse at the back end tightened the scoring rate and left Zalmi at 173/7.
When Lahore came out to chase, the early overs reflected the pressure. Soriful Islam struck immediately in the first over, and a short-lived 39-run partnership followed between Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique. The duo ended up as Lahore’s joint top scorers with 21 runs each, but once that stand was broken in the final Powerplay over, wickets fell at regular intervals—nearly every over—until the 14th.
That sequence flipped the chase from 43/1 to 75/9, effectively ending any realistic chance of a turnaround. Dunith Wellalage and Mustafizur Rahman tried to hold the line with a last-wicket partnership of 22 runs off 22 balls, but it proved too late to change the outcome.
Alongside Bracewell, Sufiyan Muqeem also delivered a crucial spell, taking 3/21 from four overs. With Lahore bowled out for 97 by the end of the 17th over, Zalmi secured the 76-run win.
Brief scores: Peshawar Zalmi 173/7 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 74, Babar Azam 43, Michael Bracewell 21; Shaheen Afridi 3-22) beat Lahore Qalandars 97 all out in 17 overs (Abdullah Shafique 21, Fakhar Zaman 21; Michael Bracewell 3-18, Sufiyan Muqeem 3-21) by 76 runs
