Peshawar Zalmi Clinch Final Spot as Babar Azam's Century Decimates Islamabad United. Photo X
PES vs ISL, PSL 2026: Peshawar Zalmi became the first team to book their ticket to the PSL 2026 Final after a commanding 70-run victory over Islamabad United in the Qualifier at the National Stadium. A masterful century from captain Babar Azam and a clinical bowling performance led by Aaron Hardie proved too much for the United side, who will now have to fight through Eliminator 2 for another chance at the trophy.
After being put into bat, Peshawar Zalmi got off to a flyer despite losing the toss. Mohammad Haris set the tempo early, blistering 35 off just 16 balls. However, the night belonged to Babar Azam. The Zalmi skipper played a tactical masterpiece, anchoring the innings with a sublime 103 off 59 deliveries, decorated with 12 boundaries and 4 sixes.
Babar shared a vital 84-run partnership with Kusal Mendis (41 off 26) that laid the foundation for a massive total. Despite a mid-innings wobble where Shadab Khan claimed three quick wickets (3/42)—including Michael Bracewell and Abdul Samad in a single over—late-innings cameos from Aaron Hardie (20 off 10) pushed Zalmi to a formidable 221/7.
Chasing a daunting 222, Islamabad United started aggressively. Sameer Minhas looked dangerous, smashing 44 off 23 balls, while Devon Conway provided support as United raced to 50 in under four overs. At 81/1, the game seemed evenly poised, but the introduction of Aaron Hardie shifted the momentum entirely.
Hardie triggered a sensational collapse, taking 3 for 25 as Islamabad lost five wickets for just 28 runs. The middle order, including Mark Chapman and skipper Shadab Khan, failed to capitalize on the start. Sufiyan Muqeem (2/25) and Mohammad Basit (2/19) applied the finishing touches, bowling out Islamabad for 151 in 18.4 overs.
Player of the Match: Babar Azam (103 runs)
Top Bowler (PES): Aaron Hardie (3/24)
Top Batter (ISL): Babar Azam (103 runs)
Peshawar Zalmi head directly to the final in Lahore on May 3. Islamabad United will face the winner of tomorrow’s Eliminator 1 (Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Multan Sultans) in Eliminator 2 on May 1 to decide the second finalist.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
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