Babar and Yaqoob lead Peshawar to sensational win over Islamabad in PSL
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Peshawar Zalmi rode Babar Azam’s century and leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob’s four-wicket over to beat Islamabad United by eight runs in the Pakistan Super League on Monday.
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Babar smashed 111 not out off 63 balls with 14 fours and two sixes and anchored Peshawar to 201-5.
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Islamabad was on course to upstage Babar’s masterful 11th Twenty20 century as Azam Khan (75) and Colin Munro (71) combined in an electrifying century stand. But Islamabad lost six wickets off the last 13 balls and stumbled to 193-9.
Yaqoob left two-time champion Islamabad shell-shocked after taking four wickets in the penultimate over that included the key wicket of Munro. Yaqoob finished with 5-27.
It was Peshawar’s second win in a high-scoring thriller in two days after beating Lahore Qalandars by same margin on Sunday.
Peshawar has three successive wins in the last four days. Islamabad has lost three in a row.
Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq ignited Islamabad’s collapse off his final ball in the 18th over when Azam Khan was caught at mid-off. Yaqoob then bowled one of the most memorable overs in PSL history by dismissing Munro, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Hunain Shah.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Peshawar was tied down in the middle overs by spinners Shadab Khan (2-28) and Agha Salman (1-25) until Babar Azam plundered the Islamabad pace bowlers.
Babar reached his half-century off 39 balls and completed his fastest T20 hundred off the next 20 balls. He smashed fast bowler Hunain for four boundaries and a six over extra cover in one over.
