PSL 2024 | Twitter lauds Arif Yaqoob’s brilliant fifer and Babar’s splendid ton as Peshawar beat Islamabad United

PSL 2024 | Twitter lauds Arif Yaqoob’s brilliant fifer and Babar’s splendid ton as Peshawar beat Islamabad United

SportsCafe Desk

By SportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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In a thrilling encounter, Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by eight runs. With a brilliant century by Babar Azam which took the Zalmi to 201/5, the United were great with their batting but the late-game heroics by Peshawar's Arif Yaqoob ultimately guided Zalmi to a remarkable triumph.

‌Recreating a performance similar to the previous night, Peshawar Zalmi's openers, Saim Ayub and Babar Azam, made an explosive start after Islamabad chose to bowl. The dynamic pair propelled their team to a score of 65/0 by the end of the powerplay. Nevertheless, Agha Salman provided Islamabad with a breakthrough by dismissing Ayub in the eighth over. Ayub's dismissal seemed to put the Peshawar batting lineup in a precarious position, intensified by the struggles of the middle order, resulting in the departures of Mohammad Haris, Haseebullah Khan, and Paul Walter. Despite the challenges, Babar displayed exceptional form from the opposite end, scoring a half-century off 39 deliveries and guiding his team to 114/3 after 13 overs. Subsequently, Rovman Powell failed to replicate his previous match's cameo, managing only eight runs. However, Babar continued his outstanding performance throughout the season, and with Asif Ali forming a strong partnership, the Peshawar skipper achieved a remarkable century in just 59 deliveries. The Babar-Asif partnership forged a splendid 77-run stand, propelling their team to an imposing total of 201/5 in 20 overs.

Islamabad United began their innings with an impressive performance from openers Colin Munro and Jordan Cox. Their aggressive batting propelled the team to a score of 31/0 within the first four overs. The momentum, however, shifted when Luke Wood of Peshawar Zalmi claimed the wicket of Cox during the powerplay. Despite the setback, Islamabad's captain Shadab Khan and Munro steadied the ship, reaching 45/1 by the conclusion of the powerplay. The situation took a challenging turn for Islamabad when Peshawar's spinner Arif Yaqoob dismissed Shadab Khan shortly after the powerplay, leaving the team at 63/2 after nine overs. With the departure of Agha Salman in the 10th over, the responsibility to steer the innings fell on the shoulders of Azam Khan and Munro. The duo showcased excellent batting prowess, guiding Islamabad to 116/3 by the 13th over, with Munro achieving his half-century in 49 deliveries. The Azam-Munro partnership seemed to be slipping the match away from Peshawar Zalmi. Subsequently, Azam Khan reached his half-century in just 21 deliveries, marking the fastest half-century of the season. Islamabad United's batting displayed dominance, reaching a formidable score of 173/3 in 17 overs, with Azam and Munro posing a significant threat to Peshawar's bowlers. However, the Peshawar side found a moment of relief when Naveen-ul-Haq took Azam's wicket, breaking the formidable 106-run partnership. Heightening the match's intensity, Munro succumbed to Arif Yaqoob's outstanding spin bowling, causing the momentum to gradually favour the Peshawar side. Islamabad's worries deepened as Yaqoob continued his impact, claiming the crucial wickets of Faheem Ashraf and Hunain Shah and finishing with a figure of 5/27. With a dramatic turn of events, the Peshawar bowling unit, spearheaded by Yaqoob turned the game as Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by eight runs. 

Azam khan on fire

So far

What a performance

The celebration

11th T20 century

Great potential

It worked

An allrounder too

Space for everything

Ticks all boxes

KKK

 

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