Babar–Mendis blitz powers Peshawar Zalmi into PSL final

• Apr.29 (Mirror Sports) - Peshawar Zalmi stormed into the PSL final with a commanding 70-run win over Islamabad United, driven by a scintillating partnership between Babar Azam and Kusal Mendis.

Babar led from the front with a superb 103 off 57 balls, unleashing a rare and brutal finishing burst in the death overs. Mendis provided perfect support, striking a fluent 41 off 26 to maintain the tempo through the middle. Their stand powered Zalmi to a formidable 221 for 7 after a flying start in the powerplay.

Islamabad responded with intent, racing past 50 inside four overs, but the chase quickly unravelled. A sharp bowling display, led by Aaron Hardie and Sufiyan Muqeem, dismantled the middle order as United collapsed to 151 all out.

The emphatic win sends Zalmi into their first PSL final since 2019, with Babar’s evolving T20 dominance and Mendis’ attacking edge proving decisive. On current form, they head into the title clash as a formidable force.

Scores in brief:

Qualifier – Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by 70 runs at National Bank Stadium, Karachi

Peshawar Zalmi 221 for 7 (20 overs)
(Babar Azam 103, Kusal Mendis 41, Mohammad Haris 35, Aaron Hardie 20; Shadab Khan 3-42, Richard Gleeson 2-45)

Islamabad United 151 all out (18.4 overs)
(Sameer Minhas 44, Mohsin Riaz 25, Imad Wasim 22, Devon Conway 20; Aaron Hardie 3-24, Mohammad Basit 2-19, Sufiyan Muqeem 2-25)

• Player of the Match: Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi)