It has been a week of nail-biters in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the T20 tournament saw another last-over finish with Peshawar Zalmi registering their third straight win in the ongoing season. It was a dramatic turnaround for the Babar Azam-led side in Lahore on Monday, February 26 in the last 13 balls of the game against Islamabad United as the 2017 champions prevailed by 8 runs.
Islamabad United was running away with the game at 181/3 chasing 202. Azam Khan was running riot having smashed 75 off just 29 balls and it seemed it could get over for the Zalmi pretty quickly despite Babar's second PSL century. Azam's blitz had almost sealed the game for the United as the burly wicketkeeper batter had smashed six 4s and as many 6s punishing the Zalmi bowling attack. However, despite going for a six on the penultimate delivery of the 18th over, Naveen ul Haq came back well to get the big wicket of Azam who mistimed a lofted shot to mid-off.
What followed was a car crash for the United! Arif Yaqoob, the leg-spinner bowling the 19th over, got the other set batter Colin Munro stumped on the very first ball. He followed it up with three more wickets in the over of Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Hunain Shah to turn the game on its head. Yaqoob ended with figures of 5/27.
Watch the video here:
Islamabad United went from 181/3 to 183/8 losing five wickets in 7 balls needing 19 runs in the final over. Salman Irshad did go for a six in the final over but was able to defend 19 runs and Zalmi won the match as United were subjected to their third straight defeat after kicking off the tournament with a win against the defending champions Lahore Qalandars.
Azam Khan had single-handedly given Islamabad a shot at chasing the target of 202 but it wasn't to be in the end.
