Islamabad United lost five wickets in seven balls – adding just two runs – in a dramatic lower-order implosion, losing their PSL 2024 match against Peshawar Zalmi from a position of strength in Lahore.

A 101-run partnership, off just 46 balls, starring Colin Munro and Azam Khan, took United within distance of hunting down their 202-run target. However, when Azam fell off the last ball of the 18th over, and Munro departed next ball, things took a dramatic turn.

Arif Yaqoob, the 29-year-old leg-spinner, dismissed Haider Ali two balls later, after which Faheem Ashraf and Hunain Shah fell off successive deliveries, sending United into a spiral. From needing 21 off the last two, they needed 20 off the final over.

Naseem Shah hit a six in the 20th over to keep the game alive, but Imad Wasim’s dismissal all but extinguished their hopes.

They finished on 193-9, eight runs short of their target.

To put things into perspective, barring Munro and Azam’s 71 and 75, the rest of the team managed 44 runs combined.

Arif Yaqoob became just the second Zalmi bowler to take five or more wickets in a PSL game, after Shahid Afridi’s spell of 5-16 for the team in 2016. He took four wickets in the penultimate over, giving away just two runs [one leg bye].

Before Azam and Munro’s blitz, it was Babar Azam who shone with a scintillating hundred, his second in the PSL, to carry Zalmi past 200. His unbeaten 63-ball 111 ensured that Zalmi managed to recover from 124-5.

 

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