Peshawar Zalmi chase 215 to defeat RawalPindiz in PSL 11 opener

Peshawar Zalmi began their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign with a five-wicket win over RawalPindiz in a high-scoring clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a daunting 215-run target, Zalmi reached the total on the first ball of the final over, powered by collective contributions across the batting lineup.

Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris laid a solid foundation with an aggressive start, putting together a quickfire 78-run stand. Babar scored 39 off 28 balls, while Haris added 47 off 28 deliveries to keep the chase on track.

After the openers’ departure, Kusal Mendis accelerated with a 17-ball 31, before Abdul Samad (33 off 11) and Michael Bracewell (35 off 17) provided the late surge.

Aamir Jamal sealed the victory with an unbeaten 17 off just five balls.

For RawalPindiz, Amad Butt picked up two wickets but proved expensive, while Mohammad Amir, Asif Afridi and Rishad Hossain claimed one wicket each.

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Earlier, opting to bat first, RawalPindiz posted a formidable 214-4 in their 20 overs, driven by a commanding opening partnership.

Yasir Khan starred with 83 off 46 balls, hitting seven fours and six sixes, while skipper Mohammad Rizwan contributed 41 off 32 deliveries. The pair added 125 runs for the opening wicket.

Late cameos from Kamran Ghulam (37 off 20), Daryl Mitchell (23 off 13) and Sam Billings (18 not out off 8) pushed the total past 200.

For Zalmi, Ali Raza was the standout bowler with two wickets, while Aaron Hardie and Jamal chipped in with one apiece.

The win gives Zalmi early momentum in the tournament, while RawalPindiz will look to regroup after a strong batting display went in vain.