Usman Khawaja’s 105 helps Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi in run fest of epic proportions
Islamabad United defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs with a score of 247 for 2 (Khawaja 105*, Malik 1-14). There are run fests, there are entertaining T20 games, and then there is what happened on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi. The 479 runs scored were the most in a single match in the history of the Pakistan Super League.
In Islamabad United Vs Peshawar Zalmi | Match 26 | PSL 6 Usman Khawaja, in place of Shadab Khan, who was injured, scored 105 runs to help Islamabad United reach the highest PSL total.With half-centuries from Shoaib Malik (36-ball 68) and Kamran Akmal (53 off 32), Peshawar Zalmi came within one good over of surpassing that score. Together, the teams contributed to the highest PSL match aggregate ever, and the victory ensured that United would finish in the top two spots.
Zalmi had just lost Akmal at the halfway point of their chase, putting them at 93 for 3.After that, a frantic five-over period in which Malik and Sherfane Rutherford played a crucial role in plundering 81 occurred.
Rutherford’s first four scoring shots cleared long-on twice, long-off, and deep square leg in a Zafar Gohar over that travelled for 30 to reach the highest PSL score.Rutherford, on the other hand, edged Muhammad Akhlaq with a slower ball from Hasan Ali. Eight balls later, Malik was run out by a yorker from Hussain Talat, leaving Zalmi at 185 for 6.Wahab Riaz and Umaid Asif continued to swing their bats wildly, scoring 47 runs on 22 balls to demonstrate the pitch’s quality, but they ultimately fell 15 short.
Khawaja and Munro set the tone. In the first three overs, Khawaja and Colin Munro were cautious, but they ended up scoring 35 runs in the next three.Early on, Munro was the primary aggressor, inventing a top edge over third man against Sameen Gul while attempting a scoop and then scything one through cover-point.
Islamabad United Vs Peshawar Zalmi | Match 26 | PSL 6 In a seventh over that resulted in 21 runs, leg spinner Abrar Ahmed also bore the brunt of Munro’s unconventional tactics, with a lofted shot back over the head and a blast over long-on sandwiched between two switch hits that hurried toward the unprotected gap between short third man and point.
Khawaja joined in the fun, pulling short balls from the Zalmi bowlers and scoring runs around the wicket with wristy flicks to anything around his pads.After spearing a few shots at Munro, Malik would eventually make the breakthrough by hitting a slower ball and defeating an attempt to swipe through midwicket to score.
United responded by bringing in Asif Ali, who scored 43 runs in 14 balls to keep the momentum going for the batting team.After putting Abrar over midwicket for two maximums, his brief stint at the crease resulted in two fours and five sixes, three of which came off four balls in the 13th over, when he particularly liked Gul.United were already at 145 with seven overs left to bowl when a pull off a Gul short ball was caught at deep square leg.
The final push began with a beautiful tapestry of drives and flicks from Khawaja, who also innovated with Riaz’s fields, dinking the Zalmi captain a few times over short fine leg, and ended with a flurry of big hits from the Australian and Brandon King.When they weren’t slamming Waqar Salamkheil around the corner every time he offered width, both players were particularly hard on the Afghan left-arm wristspinner.
Rovman Powell dropped King on 20 while attempting to track back over his head from mid-off, and the unlucky Abrar dropped Khawaja off the final ball. There was some luck along the way, and two difficult chances failed.By that time, the United captain had already scored 53 runs, and Khawaja and King had scored 102 runs in just 43 balls.Participating in the fun are four batsmen representing four distinct nations.
Hazratullah Zazai, Zalmi’s valiant effort, missed the first ball and top-edged Javed, allowing Hasan to bowl a skier from mid-on to midwicket.Imam-ul-Haq also died early because he misjudged the length of a Javed ball that was too short to drive up the middle.Akmal’s inability to recognize Hasan’s speed and length variations resulted in two quality overs from Hasan, who had only given up five in the powerplay.
After that, Akmal and Malik came together for the first big stand. Akmal played some of his signature lofted drives and inside-out shots, and he also found a few lucky boundaries through edges a few times.Malik had to keep the momentum going after Powell’s death and Akmal’s defeat by Talat.
He did that superbly, jumping down the wicket to Fawad Ahmed to hit him for six back over his head, then punishing his correction in length with a cut and swat to midwicket.In fact, Zalmi appeared to be the favorite at one point, but a slower ball from Hasan Ali ended a Rutherford cameo and eventually gave United the breathing room they needed.
During the innings break, Usman Khawaja, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Islamabad United, and Peshawar ZalmiUnited faced off against ZalmiPSL. Khawaja was absolutely correct when he stated, “I never get ahead of the game.”He was sincere and grounded enough to not guarantee a victory despite his team’s 247-point lead.
He said that his bowlers had to bowl well to get crucial breakthroughs, and they did.The end of this humdinger.Babar Azam was recently observed undergoing an ankle fitness test.Hop tabs for the Karachi-Lahore match.Stay tuned!
Player of the Game: KhawajaThe day was wonderful.Excellent teamwork.Extremely satisfying.I’m not trying to criticize the bowlers because the wicket was excellent for batsmen.We were aware that we lacked two spinners and one pacer, which was not ideal, but the bowlers bowled exceptionally well.
Riaz Wahab: I can barely speak right now.After winning the toss, we were awful on the field, and we should have kept them to 160-170.We rested Irfan knowing that the spinners could benefit from the pitch.The guys did not follow through with their plans and bowled in accordance with the fields.They continued to bowl the slotted ball.
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