Pakistan batter and Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam suffered a massive blow after a bouncer hit him on the neck while trying to pull it away during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 match against Lahore Qalandars in Karachi on Saturday. Pacer Ubaid Shah bowled a bouncer and Babar tried to pull it away but miscued the stroke and the ball hit him around his neck. The right-handed batter looked in some pain before the physio came out and subsequently Babar underwent a concussion test.
He continued to bat despite the earlier setback and scored a steady 43 off 40 balls, helping Peshawar Zalmi post a competitive total of 173/7 in 20 overs.
Kusal Mendis was the standout performer with the bat, playing a brilliant knock of 74 off 48 balls, which included five fours and four sixes. Michael Bracewell added a quick 21 off just 10 balls to give the innings a strong finish.
In reply, Lahore Qalandars never really got going. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 64/6 early in the chase. The pressure kept building, and they were eventually bowled out for just 97, losing the match by a big margin of 76 runs.
That was scary 😰
I hope Babar Azam is safe 😳pic.twitter.com/c2p71YLOAa— Sheikh Abdullah 🇵🇰 (@Sheiikhabdulah) April 11, 2026
With the ball, Bracewell impressed again, picking up 3 wickets for just 18 runs in his four overs. Nahid Rana also contributed well with figures of 2/15 in three overs, while Sufiyan Muqeem claimed 3/21 in his four overs.
The match was also special for Babar Azam, who achieved a major milestone. During his innings, he became the first player to score 4000 runs in the PSL, further strengthening his place as one of the league’s greatest performers.
Speaking about the match at the toss, Babar said, “The preparation stays the same. The break that we got earlier, we practiced a lot under the sun.”
“The conditions are slightly different I feel, though the pitch is the same that we played on a couple of nights ago. Hopefully, we play well,” he added.
Talking about the team’s bowling strength, he said, “The spinners always dominate here. Iftikhar’s experience with the ball helps. We are blessed with a combination that is helping us out a lot in these conditions.”
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