PSL 11: Yasir’s 83 powers RawalPindiz to 214 against Peshawar Zalmi

Opener Yasir Khan scored a quick 83-run knock as RawalPindiz set a 215-run target against Peshawar Zalmi in the third match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Opting to bat first, RawalPindiz posted 214-4 in their 20 overs, after getting off to a flying start. Khan and captain Mohammad Rizwan set the tone, punishing anything loose and keeping the boundaries flowing.

The duo compiled a 50-run partnership, attacking from the outset as they aimed to take their team to a massive total in their PSL debut.

Khan led from the front, keeping the scoreboard ticking and raising his bat for his third PSL fifty. Rizwan was equally aggressive, striking consecutive boundaries to help the pair reach a 100-run opening stand.

However, Zalmi’s Ali Raza broke the partnership, dismissing Rizwan for 41 off 32 balls, featuring five fours and a six, on the first delivery of the 13th over, ending the 125-run stand.

Khan continued his assault, looking poised for a maiden PSL century, but he too fell to Raza in the 15th over, finishing at 83 off 46 deliveries, with seven fours and six sixes, leaving the team at 144-2.

In the final overs, Kamran Ghulam and Daryl Mitchell combined to accelerate the scoring, taking RawalPindiz past the 150-run mark.

However, their 41-run partnership was broken when Aaron Hardie struck, claiming his first wicket of the tournament by dismissing Ghulam for a 20-ball 37, which included two fours and three sixes.

In the first ball of the final over, Aamir Jamal struck, dismissing Mitchell, who scored 23 off 13 balls, including two sixes.

Sam Billings played a crucial cameo in the final over, scoring an unbeaten 18 off eight balls, including one four and two sixes, as Aamir conceded 17 runs. Abdullah Fazal also contributed five runs.

Raza was the standout bowler for Zalmi despite being expensive, finishing with figures of 2/42 in three overs, while Hardie and Jamal claimed one wicket each.

Playing XIs

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Kusal Mendis, Aaron Hardie, Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Aamir Jamal, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam and Ali Raza.

RawalPindiz: Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Yasir Khan, Abdullah Fazal, Kamran Ghulam, Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Amad Butt, Rishad Hossain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir and Asif Afridi.

This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.