Image Credit- PSL
The season’s first victory for Peshawar Zalmi came on
Friday in a thrilling match against Multan Sultans, who were currently atop the
table.
After winning the toss, Peshawar scored 179-8, and the Sultans were all out for
174. Despite their first home loss in four games, Sultans continue to top the
six-team standings in terms of net run rate.
Sultans’ Iftikhar Ahmed hit two boundaries and a huge
six off Naveen-ul-Haq to cut the target to six off the final two balls with 22
needed off the penultimate over. Playing in his first PSL match of the year,
the Afghan fast bowler maintained composure to have Iftikhar caught behind
following a video referral. He then used the final ball to remove the final
player, Shahnawaz Dahani.
With a scorching 52 off 25 balls, Dawid Malan led the Sultans’ run chase. With
28 off 27, Reeza Hendricks was the rock of Malan’s 70-run partnership, which
featured three sixes and three fours.
The leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob further damaged Sultans
after taking three wickets in an eventful 17th over. The batters fell quickly
after one another. Usama Mir hit Yaqoob for two consecutive sixes, and Dan
Mousley, the replacement fielder, made an amazing grab on the boundary to
remove David Willey.
Earlier, Haseebullah Khan’s fast-bowling 37 off of 18 balls and Babar Azam’s 31
ignited Peshawar. Rovman Powell’s 23 off 11 and Luke Wood’s 17 off 12 boosted
Peshawar in the crucial final overs.