Zalmi breaks the Sultans’ winning streak once more with Babar leading the way.

Following three straight victories to start their PSL 2024 season Peshawar Zalmi ended Multan Sultans’ winning streak. Ten days later Zalmi caption Babar Azam once more ended the Sultans’ winning streak. It had spanned three games, to earn a vital win in Rawalpindi and climb to third place.

With the support of the middle order with Babar Azam half-century and Saim Ayub’s light touch, Zalmi amassed a commanding 204/5. Zalmi’s prolific batting was too much for Sultans’ top-four to match, but a late comeback spearheaded by Chris Jordan and Iftikhar Ahmed gave them some hope. However, Iftikhar, who finished with 60 not out off 27, couldn’t save Sultans from losing by just four runs, as they finished with 200/5.

Choosing to bat, Zalmi made a fast start, helped by 46 from Saim Ayub off just 22 deliveries. He opened the scoring quickly, dealing in boundaries, and he also hit three fours and five maximums, three of which came inside the powerplay. Within four overs, the Zalmi openers had amassed a half-century partnership, and by the time the powerplay was over, the score had risen to 71. Ayub kept blasting sixes, hitting Usama Mir for two straight before he bowled him out leg-before by the same bowler. Mir removed  Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Zalmi reached 100/2 after ten overs.

After the powerplay, Babar Azam slowed down, but he changed gears with a six off Mir. In the fourteenth over, both batsmen scored a six apiece off of Mohammad Ali, while Haseebullah Khan also found the boundaries. Mir also terminated Babar’s innings, as he was bowled for 64 off 40 after failing to complete a sweep. Jordan bowled Haseebullah on 31 but Asif Ali and Rovman Powell continued to assault. The former belting two sixes off Jordan. With a six and a four off Aftab Ibrahim in the last over, Aamer Jamal put the finishing touches on the innings and helped Zalmi surpass 200.

Sultans reached 40/1 after six overs thanks to a solid start to the chase by Mohammad Rizwan. Reeza Hendricks on the other hand found it difficult to get going. Mehran Mumtaz caught  and bowled him for a 10-ball 5. With Rizwan out for 32 in the eighth over following a direct hit from Jamal the Sultans were 73/2 at the midway point. They still had a lot of work ahead of them.

Sultans were at 91/4 with eight overs remaining and needed 114 runs to win. Tayyab Tahir and Dawid Malan attempted to keep the Sultans in the hunt. But both were dismissed by Jamal in the 12th over. After five overs, the score was 81, with Iftikhar and Khushdil Shah slugging it out for the Sultans. After Khushdil’s stay was terminated by Naveen-ul-Haq. Jordan delivered some powerful punches to reduce the equation to 58 off 18 balls.

In the eighteenth over, Iftikhar hit three sixes off Jamal, including a leg-bye, for 21 runs. In the 19th over, he hit a four and a six against Naveen. Taking his score to a fifty off 24 balls. 23 from 6 balls became 12 off 2, thanks to two fours from Jordan off Salman Irshad. However, Zalmi effectively secured the game with a single off the fifth delivery.