PSL 2023: Islamabad United won against Peshawar Zalmi by 6 wickets

• Islamabad United won against Peshawar Zalmi by 6 wickets.
• United chased 157 runs by scoring 80-1 in powerplay.
• Babar Azam put up valiant fight, but wickets fell at regular intervals.

While Islamabad United chased Peshawar Zalmi’s 157 runs by scoring 80-1 in the powerplay, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was unstoppable.

Gurbaz maintained his firepower despite losing opening partner Colin Munro in the third over. When Arshad cleaned him up, Munro had only scored nine runs.

As Munro clean bowled the New Zealand hitter in the third over, Arshad got back at him.

On the previous ball, Munro struck him for a huge maximum. Arshad successfully recovered to clean him off the centre stump.

When their senior bowler Hassan Ali quickly took some wickets in the middle, Islamabad United dominated the game with the ball.

Babar Azam, the captain of Peshawar Zalmi, put up a valiant fight as wickets fell at the other end. Despite a fast start, Peshawar managed to score 156-8 in 20 overs.

As Peshawar got out to a fast start with goals from Babar and Mohammad Haris, Hasan scored three times to put United in a dominant position.

This game had @IsbUnited written all over it. A commanding display of cricket and we have our winner for tonight!#SabSitarayHumaray l #HBLPSL8 l #PZvIU pic.twitter.com/M1cNlMaXU6

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 23, 2023

For the first wicket, the two batters put up an explosive 72-run partnership off just 42 balls.

Haris scored 40 runs in 21 balls before United’s captain Shadab Khan struck to end the opening stand and send him back to the pavilion.

The second hitter to leave the game was Saim Ayub, who was bowled out by Mubasir Khan, a rising star for Islamabad. Only three runs were scored by the left-handed batter before he left.

The two-time champions’ best was yet to come as bowler Hasan Ali, who is playing in his debut PSL 8 encounter, hit two boundaries in his second over to put United in a dominating position. He sent Rovman Powell (#) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (#) back to the pavilion.

When Jimmy Neesham and Babar appeared to be forming a partnership, the right-arm pacer struck again, quickly removing the New Zealander.

After that, United continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Babar remained unshaken. He scored seven boundaries and a maximum during his 75-run undefeated streak.

Hassan took three wickets for United, while Faheem Ashraf, Rumman Raees, Shadab, and Mubasir each split one wicket.