Peshawar Zalmi secured their place in the HBL PSL Season 11 final after defeating Islamabad United by a significant margin of 70 runs at National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing an arduous target of 222, Islamabad United were dismissed for 151 in just 18.4 overs, resulting in a one-sided victory for Zalmi and their direct advancement to the final.
Zalmi posted a formidable total of 221-7 in their 20 overs, with Captain Babar Azam leading the charge with an exceptional innings of 103 off 59 balls, including 12 boundaries and four sixes. This marked his 13th T20 century and fourth in PSL history.
Support from Kusal Mendis (41), Mohammad Haris (35) and Aamer Jamal (20) bolstered Zalmi’s total. For United, Shadab Khan was the standout bowler with figures of 3-42, while Richard Gleeson took two wickets.
In response, United started strongly with a partnership of 58 runs between Devon Conway (20) and Sameer Minhas (44). However, once this alliance broke, the innings collapsed rapidly. Mohsin Riaz contributed 25 but could not invigorate the attack. Skipper Shadab scored only six, along with Mark Chapman, Faheem Ashraf and others falling cheaply. A final 22 from Imad Wasim was insufficient.
For Zalmi, Aamer Jamal excelled with the ball taking three wickets, while Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Zeeshan each claimed two victims.
This victory places Zalmi in their fifth PSL final, making them the most frequent finalists in the league’s history. Despite the loss, Islamabad United remain in contention and will have another opportunity to qualify for the final in Eliminator 2, where they will face the winner of Eliminator 1.