Peshawar defeats two-time PSL champion Islamabad by 6 wickets

Peshawar Zalmi' Saqib Mahmood, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Islamabad United' Alex Hales, left, during Pakistan Super League match at the National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan, on February 27, 2021. (AP)

• Zalmi’s third straight victory has put it on top of the tournament’s points table
• Peshawar’s skipper Wahab Riaz led from the front by taking four wickets and conceding 17 runs

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday outclassed Islamabad United in a one-sided contest, winning its third straight match and reaching the top of the points table by defeating its rival by six wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament.
Peshawar won the toss and invited Islamabad to bat on a wicket where all PSL matches during this season have been won by the teams chasing, including those who faced the daunting challenge of making over 190 runs.
Zalmi took early wickets and dismissed United for the tournament’s lowest total of 118 runs in 17.1 overs.
In response, Peshawar cruised to 122-4 with 17 balls to spare. Haider Ali hit three sixes and three fours in 36 off 18 balls.
Zalmi was 6-2 when it started batting, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore (46) and Shoaib Malik (29 not out) steadied the chase and Ali finished off.
Earlier, Riaz led his team’s strike against Islamabad by taking the wicket of Paul Stirling in the first over. Phil Salt was the second to go after he lost his wicket to English bowler Saqib Mahmood. Salt scored 9 off 11 balls.
Faheem Ashraf who had made significant contributions to his team’s total in the last matches only managed to score two runs. Skipper Shahab Khan was run out on a good throw by Imam-ul-Haq to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Alex Hales who remained the top scorer of the match for his side (41 off 27) was the next to go to the pavilion. Hussain Talat scored 22 off 15, Iftikhar Ahmed 7 off 12, and Asif 19 off 12.
Wahab Riaz remained the most successful bowler and showed his best performance in PSL tournaments by grabbing four wickets and conceding 17 runs. Saqib Mahmood also demonstrated outstanding bowling skills by taking 4 wickets in 2.1 overs.
Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Umaid Asif both grabbed one wicket each.
Earlier in the day, Babar Azam helped Karachi Kings win a match against Multan Sultan by hitting his second successive PSL half century.
Babar’s unbeaten 90 off 60 balls — including 13 fours and a six — led Karachi to 198-3 with seven balls to spare in yet another successful chase in Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league, Associated Press reported.
Multan had earlier spoiled a blistering start and were restricted to 195-6 as Karachi skipper Imad Wasim followed a familiar script of captains putting the opposition into bat after winning the toss.