Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United clashed against each other in the eliminator at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, March 16. The United won the toss and opted to ball first. Earlier, Multan Sultans became the first team to qualify for the final by defeating Lahore Qalandars on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, during the eliminator, an interesting incident took place in the first innings when Peshawar captain Babar Azam faced Islamabad skipper Shadab Khan. The leggie surprisingly predicted Babar’s dismissal on the stump mic before sending him back to the pavilion. Many fans have appreciated his confidence while some have claimed that it was fixing.
Watch the video here:
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) March 17, 2023
Talking about the match, asked to bat first, the Zalmi got off to a flying start after scoring 77 runs in the powerplay. Captain Babar was hitting boundaries for fun and notched up a 28-ball half-ton. Peshawar were 120/2 after 11 overs and were eying a 220+ total and that’s when the time-out was taken which completely turned Peshawar’s momentum.
Mohammad Wasim bowled a quiet over immediately after that. Mohammad Haris went after Shadab in the following over but the Islamabad captain trapped Babar lbw in the same over. Post that, it was a brilliant display of bowling from Islamabad who varied their pace smartly and conceded just 46 runs off the last seven overs.
Brilliant bowling performance by Peshawar Zalmi
Chasing the target, Islamabad lost their first wicket in the second over. However later, Alex Hales and Sohaib Maqsood notched up their fifties and stitched a century partnership and the asking rate was below 10 RPO at the end of the 14th over with nine wickets in hand. But the Zalmis roared back in style, courtesy of Aamer Jamal and Salman Irshad.
They nailed the yorkers and slipped in the slower balls smartly and brought the United back into the game. Islamabad slipped from 128/1 to 147/5 in three overs. Shadab struck a few boundaries to keep his team in the hunt but Colin Munro struggled to lay bat on the ball and Islamabad eventually fell short by 12 runs.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Fixing at its peak
He is telling this on stump mic so that bookies gets to know— थारा बाप 💤 (@mlucky007) March 17, 2023
Match fixing
— Chiku (@ChikuSa85580890) March 17, 2023
Mohammad asif and mohammad amir be like:- pic.twitter.com/Ukt4iccIpE
— Azmatullah (@Azmatul51794319) March 17, 2023
— Sanket Shah (@SanketS64861430) March 17, 2023
It's fixing not confidence😅
— Mihir Chaudhari (@mihir_181992) March 17, 2023
😭😭👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/W6KWYKoUr0
— 🇮🇳ꪜ𝐢𝐧𝐨⁹⁶🚩 (@vinoo_96) March 17, 2023
Fixing? And he will announce the plans right in the stumo mikes?
— En-Raged (@AbrarHu49317179) March 17, 2023
If keh ke lena had a face
— Bawal (@bawaal136) March 17, 2023
