Following the posting of a goal of 202 runs, Peshawar held Islamabad to 193/9. Peshawar has won the competition three times in a row. After a spectacular partnership between Colin Munro and Azam Khan for the fourth wicket, Islamabad looked set to win, but Yaqoob’s four-wicket haul in the 19th over turned the tide back in Peshawar’s favour. Yaqoob finished with stats of 5/27, making history as the first bowler in PSL 2024 history to grab four wickets in an over. At one point in the run chase, Islamabad had just 32 runs when they lost Jordan Cox (13) in the fifth over.
PSL 2024: Islamabad United lost to Peshawar Zalmi by eight runs
Azam Khan came in to bat with Munro when Islamabad was suffering at 73/3 after 9.3 overs. With an incredible performance, Azam Khan turned the tide of the match. In just 30 deliveries, the right-handed batter scored 75 runs, including six boundaries and an equal number of sixes, to dominate the 108-run partnership with Munro.
On the last ball of the eighteenth over, he misplayed a stroke off Naveen-ul-Haq, ending his outstanding performance. Munro fell on the next delivery when his colleague left, which caused the bottom order to collapse. The left-handed batsman struck seven boundaries and a six in his 71 runs in 53 balls. Arif Yaqoob, Islamabad’s spinner, reclaimed command by taking three more wickets in the penultimate over.
In the end, Naseem Shah smashed a six on the second delivery, but Islamabad needed 19 runs from the final over and lost. In addition to Yaqoob, one wicket was claimed by Salman Irshad, Naveen, Luke Wood, and Saim Ayub. Choosing to bat first, Saim Ayub and Babar of Peshawar once again set the tone with a productive 73-run partnership.
Before Ayub was dismissed by Salman Ali Agha in the eighth over, the dangerous pair quickly outmanoeuvred the Islamabad bowlers. Ayub made a major contribution with a remarkable 21-ball 38 that included two sixes and three boundaries. Islamabad gained momentum from his dismissal, and their skipper strengthened their position by getting rid of Mohammad Haris and Haseebullah Khan in the next over.
