RAWALPINDI – Peshawar Zalmi finally witnessed first win in PSL X with thumping 120-run victory over Multan Sultans, delivering powerful statement after a slow start to the flagship cricket tournament.
Babar Azam led Zalmi posted a mammoth 227 on the board — and remarkably, no batter faced more than 30 balls. It was a textbook display of T20 batting, where multiple short but impactful cameos stitched together an imposing total. This kind of collective explosiveness is becoming increasingly common in today’s fast-evolving T20 format.
The star of the night was young blood Ali Raza, who ripped through the Multan batting line-up with figures of 4/21 in his 4 overs. His pace, control, and intelligent variations left batters clueless. Raza’s fiery spell was well-supported by Arif Yaqoob, who chipped in with 3 wickets, further tightening the screws on the Sultans.
Multan Sultans, chasing a steep target, never looked in the contest. Their batting unit collapsed under pressure, handing them a third consecutive defeat in the tournament. This heavy loss has now dragged them to the bottom of the points table, raising serious questions about their form and team balance.
With this dominant win, Zalmi not only gets on the board but also boosts their net run rate significantly. The momentum could be exactly what they need to turn their season around.
Peshawar Zalmi’s batting fireworks light up Rawalpindi, as Yellow Storm set Sultans big chase after briiliant batting display.
Zalmi set towering target of 227 runs against Sultans in the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10, held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Zalmi’s innings began on a shaky note after electing to bat first, with both openers—Saim Ayub and captain Babar Azam—departing early, leaving the team stumbling at 5/2 in the third over.
However, the early collapse was expertly overturned by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and England’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore. The pair launched a counterattack, piling on 79 runs in just over five overs to regain control of the innings. Haris entertained the crowd with a blistering 45 off 21 balls, including four fours and three sixes, before being dismissed by Ubaid Shah.
Kohler-Cadmore continued the charge, hammering 52 from 30 balls, laced with five sixes and two boundaries. He formed another valuable partnership of 53 runs with Hussain Talat before falling to Michael Bracewell.
Talat contributed a steady 37 off 29 balls, while late fireworks from Abdul Samad and Mitchell Owen took Zalmi past the 200-run mark. The duo added 73 for the sixth wicket, punishing the Sultans’ bowling attack in the death overs.
Owen struck 34 off just 15 deliveries, including four sixes, while Samad’s 40 came off only 14 balls with a mix of fours and maximums.
Multan Sultans’ bowling effort was led by David Willey, Ubaid Shah, and Michael Bracewell, who each took two wickets, while Iftikhar Ahmed claimed one.
With a daunting target of 228 to chase, the Sultans will need a special batting performance to pull off a win in what promises to be an action-packed second innings.
