KARACHI: The floor shook at the National Bank Stadium here on Tuesday night as fans returned to the stands for the first time since the commencement of the 11th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League last month.
The seismic activity, however, intensified each time Babar Azam arrived at the striker’s end. The “Babar, Babar” chants reverberated across the venue mightily each time the bowler ran towards the crowd’s favourite player.
Each time Babar’s bat met the ball, that clap of the willow merged into the consequent, deafening cheers. And when that hit turned into a boundary, 32,000 fans turned raucous.
Deprived of attending PSL matches owing to the government’s austerity measures all season until they were allowed to do so for the playoffs, the fans wanted a gift and Babar gave them one.
The Peshawar Zalmi skipper added the fireworks to the festive night, hitting a blistering century to lead his side to the PSL final after a 70-run win over a hapless Islamabad United in the Qualifier.
The right-hander hit 103 off 59, smashing 12 fours and four sixes as Zalmi made their fifth PSL final with the hope of winning their first title after their 2017 crown.
Babar’s masterclass began from the very first over. Facing pacer Richard Gleeson, he caressed a straight drive for two, punched a boundary through midwicket with authority, and guided another single.
The tone was set. In the second over, he sliced a short ball aerially over backward point and unfurled a majestic swivel pull that raced to the midwicket boundary.
A flick off the pads over midwicket for six in the third over showcased his class, taking him to 22 off just 12 balls.
Mohammad Haris provided explosive support at the other end, hammering Imad Wasim for a monstrous six over cow corner and sweeping boundaries with audacity. The opening stand raced to 72 in a little more than six overs before Haris (35 off 16) holed out to long-off off Shadab Khan.
Zalmi were 80-1, already looking ominous on a flat pitch. Kusal Mendis joined Babar and the pair added 84 runs in quick time. Mendis, aggressive as ever, dealt in boundaries, including a delightful ramp over the keeper off Faheem Ashraf.
Babar, meanwhile, eased into his groove. He brought up his half-century off 40 balls with a boundary off Imad in the 11th over, a moment greeted with thunderous applause.
The partnership flourished until the 15th over when Mendis (41 off 26) miscued a pull off Faheem and was caught at midwicket.
Disaster struck immediately. Shadab (3-42), bowling with venom, claimed Michael Bracewell and Abdul Samad in consecutive deliveries — a hat-trick ball that Aaron Hardie survived.
Zalmi suddenly wobbled at 165-4 in the 16th over, with Babar on 79. But the captain refused to yield.
Off Faheem, he slashed a boundary past backward point, drove another straight over the bowler’s head, and punched through covers to move into the nervous nineties.
The crowd sensed history. In the 17th over, facing Gleeson, Babar got under a fuller delivery outside off and flayed it over covers. Then, on the fifth ball, he met a pace-off delivery in the slot, presented the full face of the bat and muscled it straight down the ground for six.
Helmet off, arms aloft, a sprint of joy followed by a leap and a heartfelt prostration on the turf — Babar had reached his fourth PSL century off 58 balls, joining Usman Khan as the joint-highest century-maker in a single PSL season.
He also equalled the record for most runs in a PSL campaign as the stadium erupted in pure ecstasy. Babar fell soon after but his departure did not stall Zalmi’s momentum as Hardie unleashed a late onslaught, smashing 20 off 10 balls, including a six and two fours to help Zalmi to a formidable 221.
In response, United made a promising start. Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas, the latter in blistering form, put on 58 in the powerplay. Sameer, particularly aggressive, hammered seven boundaries in his 44 off 23 balls, including crisp cover drives and powerful pulls. Conway contributed 20 off 14 with two sixes before Michael Bracewell induced a soft leading edge to cover in the fifth over.
The real damage, however, was inflicted by Hardie. Introduced in the eighth over, the Australian all-rounder struck immediately, having Sameer caught at mid-off by Babar.
Hardie’s variations in pace and bounce proved lethal on a pitch that offered just enough for the seamers. He returned to claim Shadab with a clever lap scoop that went straight to short fine leg, then accounted for Haider Ali, who sliced to Sufiyan Muqeem at cover.
Hardie finished with impressive figures of 3-24, triggering a middle-order collapse that left United reeling at 114-7 inside 14 overs.
Sufiyan complemented Hardie beautifully, removing Mohsin Riaz (25) with a stunning catch by Samad at long-off and later dismissing Mark Chapman at short third-man.
A run-out of Faheem added to the misery. Chris Green and Imad offered brief resistance, but the asking rate had climbed beyond 20. Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Basit mopped up the tail efficiently, with Basit claiming the last two wickets in the 19th over as United folded for 151.
Scoreboard
PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Mohammad Haris c Chapman b Shadab 35
Babar Azam c Mohsin b Salman 103
Kusal Mendis c Sameer b Faheem 41
Michael Bracewell c Green b Shadab 2
Abdul Samad c Faheem b Shadab 0
Aaron Hardie lbw b Gleeson 20
Iftikhar Ahmed not out 3
Farhan Yousaf c Faheem b Gleeson 0
Khurram Shahzad not out 4
EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-7) 13
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs) 221
DID NOT BAT: Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-72 (Haris), 2-156 (Mendis), 3-164 (Bracewell), 4-164 (Samad), 5-200 (Babar), 6-214 (Hardie), 7-217 (Farhan)
BOWLING: Gleeson 4-0-45-2 (1nb), Imad 4-0-38-0 (1w), Salman 3-0-35-1, Shadab 4-0-42-3 (6w), Faheem 3-0-36-1, Green 2-0-20-0
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
Devon Conway c Samad b Bracewell 20
Sameer Minhas c Babar b Hardie 44
Mohsin Riaz c Samad b Sufiyan 25
Shadab Khan c Basit b Hardie 6
Mark Chapman c Khurram b Sufiyan 4
Haider Ali c Sufiyan b Hardie 8
Faheem Ashraf run out 1
Chris Green c Babar b Khurram 8
Imad Wasim c&b Basit 22
Salman Mirza c Haris b Basit 5
Richard Gleeson not out 1
EXTRAS (W-7) 7
TOTAL (all out, 18.4 overs) 151
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-58 (Conway), 2-81 (Sameer), 3-98 (Shadab), 4-100 (Mohsin), 5-109 (Haider), 6-111 (Chapman), 7-113 (Faheem), 8-126 (Green), 9-150 (Imad)
BOWLING: Iftikhar 2-0-25-0 (2w), Khurram 3-0-38-1 (2w), Basit 3.4-0-19-2, Bracewell 2-0-20-1, Sufiyan 4-0-25-2 (1w), Hardie 4-0-24-3 (2w)
RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by 70 runs
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Babar Azam
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026
