With his side having been set 211 to chase after a blistering innings from Rilee Rossouw for Multan Sultan’s, Saim Ayub came in after Pakistan captain Babar Azam was dismissed by Ihsanullah’s first ball of the match. Showing his confidence straight away, he hit his first ball for four through the covers. He followed up with a pull for six over fine leg, leaning back and pivoting through the shot on his back leg.

Faced with Carlos Brathwaite in the next over, Saim Ayub gave him the same treatment from his first ball. He pumped him for a massive six over mid-wicket, whipping his hands through a length ball from round the wicket and holding the pose in his follow-through.

Content with singles from the rest of Brathwaite’s over, he once again took the attack to Abbas Afridi. In the most audacious shot of his innings, the left-hander walked across his stumps to a full ball – barely looking as he leaned on his left leg and flicked the ball behind square into the leg side. The ball flew high in the air and well over the fine leg boundary for another maximum.

The shot prompted Nick Knight on commentary to say: “What a shot, what a shot. Didn’t move, didn’t watch it and flew it all the way.”

He picked up another boundary off the final ball of Abbas’s over, this time down to long-leg and reached his first PSL fifty off 33 balls – bringing up the milestone with another four. He was dismissed just three balls later, however, mistiming another boundary attempt off Abbas and caught by David Miller at long-on.

Peshawar Zalmi were eventually bowled out for 154 with seven balls left in their innings. Multan Sultans won by 56 runs.

Watch: Saim Ayub hits incredible one-legged scoop for six en route to maiden PSL fifty below

Unreal shots by Saim Ayub 😱

What a talent 💫#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #MSvPZ pic.twitter.com/Lfol7RuE4o

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 17, 2023