Summary Yasir Khan’s rapid 83 and Mohammad Rizwan’s 41 guide RawalPindiz to 214 against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 11 at Gaddafi Stadium.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – RawalPindiz produced a commanding batting display to post 214 for four against Peshawar Zalmi in the third match of the Pakistan Super League season 11 at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
After opting to bat first, RawalPindiz made full use of the conditions, racking up a formidable total across their 20 overs. The innings was built on a blistering start led by opener Yasir Khan and captain Mohammad Rizwan, who dictated terms early and kept the scoreboard moving at a brisk pace.
The pair combined aggression with calculated strokeplay, stitching together a rapid 125-run opening partnership. Yasir took the lead role, playing an expansive innings filled with clean hitting and sharp placement, while Rizwan complemented him with fluent boundaries and effective rotation of strike.
Yasir brought up his half-century in style and continued to dominate the Zalmi bowling attack. He struck 83 off 46 deliveries, smashing seven fours and six sixes, and looked on course for a maiden PSL century before falling in the 15th over. Rizwan, meanwhile, contributed a steady 41 from 32 balls, hitting five fours and a six before being dismissed at the start of the 13th over.
Zalmi found a breakthrough through Ali Raza, who removed both set batters and emerged as the most successful bowler despite conceding runs. He finished with figures of two for 42 in three overs.
Following the departure of the opening pair, RawalPindiz maintained their momentum through a quickfire middle-order surge. Kamran Ghulam injected further pace into the innings with a brisk 37 off just 20 balls, including two fours and three sixes, forming a 41-run stand with Daryl Mitchell.
The partnership was broken by Aaron Hardie, who claimed his first wicket of the tournament by dismissing Ghulam. Mitchell added 23 off 13 balls, striking two sixes, before falling on the opening delivery of the final over to Aamir Jamal.
In the closing stages, Sam Billings provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 18 off eight deliveries, including a four and two sixes, as RawalPindiz pushed past the 200-run mark. Abdullah Fazal added a modest five runs towards the end.
Zalmi’s bowling effort saw Hardie and Jamal claim one wicket each, but they struggled to contain the flow of runs as RawalPindiz capitalised on a strong foundation laid during the powerplay.
In response, Peshawar Zalmi began their chase of 215, with their batting line-up featuring Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris, and Kusal Mendis tasked with overhauling the steep target in what promises to be a high-scoring contest.
