LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi secured a five-wicket victory over Rawalpindi Pindiz in the third match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 at Gaddafi Stadium, chasing down a challenging target with five balls to spare.
Batting first after winning the toss in their league debut, Rawalpindi Pindiz posted 214/4 in 20 overs, setting up a high-scoring contest. However, Zalmi responded with an aggressive chase, reaching 218/5 in 19.1 overs to seal the win.
Pindiz post strong total in debut match
Rawalpindi Pindiz built their innings on solid contributions from Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan. Yasir led the scoring with 83 runs off 46 balls, while Rizwan added 41 off 32 deliveries.
The innings provided momentum for the debuting side, with the batting unit maintaining a steady run rate throughout the 20 overs.
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Zalmi chase powered by top-order and middle-order efforts
In reply, Peshawar Zalmi approached the chase with intent. Mohammad Haris scored 47 off 28 balls, while captain Babar Azam contributed 39 off 28 deliveries to anchor the innings.
Michael Bracewell played a crucial late-innings role, scoring 35 runs off just 17 balls to keep Zalmi on track during the final overs.
Bowlers struggle in high-scoring game
The match saw limited impact from bowlers on both sides in batting-friendly conditions. Ali Raza picked up two wickets for 42 runs for Zalmi, while Amad Butt claimed two wickets for 45 runs for Pindiz.
Despite setting a strong total, Rawalpindi Pindiz were unable to contain Zalmi’s batting lineup in the closing stages.
The result marks an important early win for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2026, while Rawalpindi Pindiz showed competitive form in their debut appearance.
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