Category: Sports

KARACHI: Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi shattered multiple records against Quetta Gladiators in the 29th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 played here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

Put into bat first, Zalmi racked up 255 for the loss of three wickets in their 20 overs, largely due to a 135-run stand between Babar Azam and Kusal Mendis.

The total was the 2017 champions’ highest in PSL history and overall third in the tournament’s history. Earlier in the tournament, Zalmi had recorded 246-3 against Karachi Kings.

Highest totals in PSL history

Quetta Gladiators – 263/3 against Islamabad United in 2025
Multan Sultans – 262/3 against Quetta Gladiators in 2023
Peshawar Zalmi – 255/3 against Quetta Gladiators in 2026
Quetta Gladiators – 253/8 against Multan Sultans in 2023
Islamabad United – 251/5 against Karachi Kings in 2025

The foundation for a big total was laid by Babar, who scored an unbeaten 100 off only 52 balls, striking six fours and four sixes.

His 52-ball century, the fastest he has made in this prestigious league, allowed him to match the record for most PSL centuries, joining Kamran Akmal, Rilee Rossouw, and Usman Khan.

Additionally, Babar shared a 135-run partnership for the second wicket with Mendis, which also tied him with India’s Virat Kohli for the most century-plus stands in T20s.

Most 100 partnerships in T20 cricket

47 – Virat Kohli (India)
47 – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
46 – Chris Gayle (West Indies)
45 – David Warner (Australia)
40 – Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Notably, Babar Azam only played one dot ball during his 52-ball innings. According to the ball-by-ball database, which includes over 3,000 innings of 50 or more balls in T20s worldwide, no batter has ever had as few as one dot ball in such an innings.

READ: PSL 11: Babar, Mendis and bowlers sink Quetta Gladiators

Virgil van Dijk scored a last-gasp winner against Everton on Sunday as Liverpool strengthened their push for a Champions League spot next season ahead of a Premier League summit meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal.

On a pivotal day in the English top division, fourth-placed Aston Villa squandered a two-goal lead against Sunderland but scored in stoppage time to win 4-3.

At the other end of the table, Morgan Gibbs-White netted a hat-trick as struggling Nottingham Forest came from behind against Burnley to win 4-1 and heap the pressure on troubled Tottenham.

Just a few weeks ago, the battle for the top five, which guarantees entry into the Champions League, looked as though it might be tight.

But fifth-placed Liverpool’s 2-1 victory in their first match at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium takes them seven points clear of stumbling Chelsea, in sixth spot.

Captain Van Dijk was the hero for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, heading Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner past a helpless Jordan Pickford in the 100th minute.

“Today was massive in the situation that we are, in hunt for the Champions League spots,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

“That is definitely not Liverpool-worthy, in my opinion, but it is the reality, and it was important we got the win. I’m glad we did.

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“We’ve got five more games left (some) against teams that are also fighting for the Champions League spots. Every game is a big one.”

Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring for last season’s champions, slotting home in the first half following a superbly weighted pass from Cody Gakpo.

The goal came just two minutes after Iliman Ndiaye’s effort at the other end was canceled by VAR, with Jake O’Brien ruled offside.

Salah, departing at the end of the season, has equaled Steven Gerrard’s nine goals to become the joint top-scoring player in the Premier League fixture between the two Merseyside teams.

The goal took the wind out of the sails of David Moyes’ team, but they were level through Beto within 10 minutes of the restart.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, on the left of Everton’s attack, fired across goal for Beto to attack, and he poked home ahead of an onrushing Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was immediately stretchered off, replaced by Freddie Woodman.

The game looked destined to end as a draw but the officials signalled 11 added minutes but Van Dijk had the last laugh.

READ: Hasan Ali confident of Karachi Kings’ comeback in PSL 11

KARACHI: Babar Azam’s unbeaten century, Kusal Mendis’s gutsy 83, and a disciplined bowling effort powered Peshawar Zalmi to a massive 118-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in the 29th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 257, Quetta Gladiators were bowled out for 137 in 18.1 overs.

Quetta Gladiators were in trouble right from the onset as Peshawar Zalmi removed their three batters inside the powerplay. Saud Shakeel (12), Rilee Rossouw (0), and Hassan Nawaz (5), all three batters, were dismissed cheaply.

The fourth batter to fall was Shamyl Hussain after the power play. The left-hander made 21 from 18 balls.

With 45-4, Dinesh Chandimal and Bevon Jacobs tried to stop the slide, adding a brief 29 run for the fifth wicket.

However, following Chamdimal’s dismissal, Quetta Gladiators’ innings unraveled quickly as they slumped to 82-7 at the halfway mark.

Bevon Jacobs remained the top-scorer for them, hitting three sixes in his 34 from 27 balls, while Alzarri Joseph remained unbeaten on 19 from 15 deliveries.

For Peshawar Zalmi, Ali Raza and Mohammad Basit shared six wickets between them.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Earlier, Babar Azam’s sublime century guided Peshawar Zalmi to their highest total against.

Put into bat first, Peshawar Zalmi ended their innings on a massive 255-3 in 20 overs — the third highest total of PSL history.

The foundation for a big total was laid in the first over by Mohammad Haris, who accumulated 23 from Jahandad Khan’s opening over.

In the very next over, Alzarri Joseph sent back dangerous Haris, who made 16 from six balls.

The wicket, the highest run getter of this season, Kusal Mendis, was brought to the crease, who forged a mammoth 135-run partnership from 75 balls. The pair made a mockery of the Quetta Gladiators’ bowling attack.

Both batters notched up half-centuries with Peshawar Zalmi reaching 165 in 14.1 overs. The stand eventually culminated with Mendis’ wicket, who was caught after scoring 83 from 44 balls, striking three sixes and 10 fours.

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Meanwhile, Babar continued on his merry way, first adding a brief 24-run partnership with Farhan Yousaf, who made 19 from eight balls.

Peshawar Zalmi were well placed at 189-3 in 16.2 overs with Aaron Hardies providing the innings with a late impetus. The Australian batter scored 26* off 10, hitting three sixes.

Meanwhile, Babar completed his 12th century in T20 cricket on the final ball of the innings. He made 100* from 52 balls, striking four sixes and six boundaries.

For Quetta Gladiators, Alzarri Joseph, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed took one wicket each.

READ: Hasan Ali confident of Karachi Kings’ comeback in PSL 11

KARACHI: Fast bowler Hasan Ali vowed to bounce back following the Karachi Kings’ defeat against Multan Sultans in the 28th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

The Kings fell short by 11 runs against the Sultans while chasing a formidable 208-run target here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Hasan Ali had a forgettable outing, returning with the figures of 1 for 51 in four overs, including 21 off the final over of the Multan Sultans innings.

The loss marked the Kings’ fourth in a row, and they now have to win their remaining three matches to stay in contention for the playoffs.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

After the match, Hasan spoke to the media and reflected on his side’s shortcomings against Multan Sultans.

“We have lost four matches in Karachi. We have failed in every department,” he told reporters.

Karachi Kings now need to win their remaining three matches to stay in contention for a place in the playoffs.

“Our team has shown good performances in Lahore. We will regroup and try to make a comeback in Lahore,” said the right-arm pacer.

He also responded to a question regarding the absence of regular captain David Warner.

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“He is a match-winner. For us, every player is important, just like David Warner. This is Karachi Kings’ team, not just David Warner’s team. Our team has players of every kind and skill set. We still have three matches left, and we will try to win them,” he continued.

The 31-year-old emphasized team combination, noting that perceptions change depending on results.

“A combination is always made well in every franchise. If a player is given chances but does not perform, then you have to look for options,” Hasan Ali concluded.

READ: Multan Sultans edge Karachi Kings in PSL 11 clash

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Peshawar Zalmi in the 29th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Head to Head

Both teams have faced each other 27 times. Peshawar Zalmi lead with 14 victories while Gladiators managed to win 12 out of those games.

Playing XIs

Peshawar Zalmi XI: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Aaron Hardie, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit Ali, Ali Raza

Quetta Gladiators XI: Shamyl Hussain, Saud Shakeel (capt), Rilee Rossouw, Hasan Nawaz, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Jahandad Khan, Saqib Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

READ: Mohammad Rizwan admits ‘failure’ after Rawalpindiz seventh loss

A humanoid robot competing against flesh-and-blood runners broke the world record at a Beijing half-marathon on Sunday, showcasing the rapid technological advancement achieved by Chinese makers.

Spectators lined the roads in Yizhuang in the capital’s south to watch the machines and their human rivals race, each group in a separate lane to avoid accidents or collisions.

Some of the robots were highly agile, moving like famous runners such as Usain Bolt, while others had more basic capabilities.

The winning humanoid, equipped with an autonomous navigation system and running for Chinese smartphone maker Honor, completed the roughly 21-kilometre (13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, at an average speed of about 25 kilometres per hour, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

That was far faster than the top human in Sunday’s race, while also surpassing the current men’s world record of 57:20 held by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.

The result represented spectacular progress from last year, when robot-runners fell repeatedly and the best took more than two hours and 40 minutes to finish.

The number of humanoid entries jumped from around 20 last year to more than 100, according to organisers, a sign of the sector’s growing popularity.

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Han Chenyu, a 25-year-old student who watched the race from behind a safety barrier, barely had time to take out her phone and snap a picture of the leading robot as it whizzed past.

She told AFP she was enthusiastic about such leaps in technology and thought the event was “pretty cool”.

But, she added, “as someone who works for a living, I’m a little worried about it sometimes. I feel like technology is advancing so fast that it might start affecting people’s jobs”, particularly with artificial intelligence growing increasingly sophisticated.

Humanoid robots have become a common sight in China in recent years, in the media as well as in public spaces.

Xie Lei, 41, who watched Sunday’s race with his family, said robots could “become part of our daily lives” within several years, potentially used for “things like housework, elderly companionship or basic caregiving” or “dangerous jobs, even firefighting”.

The humanoid half-marathon aims to encourage innovation and popularise the technologies used in creating and operating such machines.

In a sign of the industry’s strength, investment in robotics and so-called embodied AI amounted to 73.5 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in China in 2025, according to a study by a government agency.

“For thousands of years, humans have been at the top on planet Earth. But now, look at robots. Just in terms of autonomous navigation, at least in this specific sport event, they’re already starting to surpass us,” Xie said.

“On one hand, it does make you feel a little bit sad for humanity. But at the same time, technology, especially in recent years, has given us so much imagination.”

READ: Lahore Qalandars among top five teams in Global Super League

KARACHI: Arafat Minhas starred with a three-wicket haul as Multan Sultans edged past Karachi Kings by 11 runs in the 28th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Chasing a daunting 208 here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday, Karachi Kings were bowled out for 196 in 19.4 overs.

Jason Roy and Saad Baig started positively in pursuit of the chase, adding 29 in 2.2 overs before Arafat Minhas struck twice to reduce them to 41-2 at the end of four overs.

Roy made 16 from nine while Salman Ali Agha was cleaned up for two runs. The Kings were pegged back further with the dismissal of Baig, who hit four boundaries before getting caught on 21.

As a result, Karachi Kings were in dire straits at 47-3 at the end of the powerplay.

With the side in deep trouble, Reeza Hendricks and Moeen Ali launched a recovery with a 67-run partnership. The pair managed to pull things back, with the scorecard reading 114 in 12.5 overs.

However, Hendricks was caught just one shy of a half-century. He top-scored with 49 from 32, hitting two sixes and five fours.

Following his dismissal, the Kings’ batting lineup wobbled until Abbas Afridi’s cameo, which provided them a glimmer of hope. The right-hander hit 34 from 16, including two sixes and three fours.

He was caught in the penultimate over, which dashed the Kings’ hope. With 18 required off the final over, Mohammad Wasim kept his nerve and gave nothing away.

For Multan Sultans, Arafat Minhas picked up three wickets.

Earlier, Shan Masood’s 46 from 25 balls and Imran Randhawa’s 26 from eight balls at the back end of the innings propelled Multan Sultans to a massive total.

Asked to bat first, Multan Sultans racked up 207-7 in 20 overs.

Sultans were jolted with an early blow in the shape of Steve Smith, who was caught without scoring. The early wicket brought Josh Philippe to the crease, who added a 66-run partnership with Awais Zafar.

The pair batted briskly, bringing the team’s total to 77 in 7.2 overs. Philippe made 44 from 23 balls, including five fours and two sixes.

Despite the wicket, runs continued to flow from Multan Sultans batters as Awais Zafar was involved in another 44-run stand with Shan Masood.

However, Karachi Kings bowlers made a comeback in the second half of the innings as Awais and Shan fell in successive overs. At this stage, the scorecard read 135-4 in 13.2 overs. The former hit five fours and a six in his 36 off 27, whereas the latter struck three fours and three sixes in his knock.

Karachi Kings bowlers squeezed the run flow and took wickets at regular intervals, and reduced Sultans to 174-7 in 18.2 overs, until Imran Randhawa’s late onslaught.

The right-hander scored 21 off Hasan Ali’s final over to take the total to over 200 runs.

For Karachi Kings, Khushdil Shah remained the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets in his quota of four overs.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan admits ‘failure’ after Rawalpindiz seventh loss

Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) have announced the wrestling team for the 6th Asian Beach Games, set to take place in Sanya, China from April 21 to 30.

The national team will participate in this prestigious international event across five different sports: wrestling, athletics, ju-jitsu, handball, and triathlon.

The selected squad includes Muhammad Abdullah in the 70kg category, Asad Ullah in the 80kg division, Muhammad Inam Butt in the 90kg category, and Muhammad Gulzar in the +90kg weight category.

The federation conducted open trials across the country to ensure merit-based selection.

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Following the trials, a three-month intensive training camp was held in Gujranwala, where top coaches and athletes contributed to preparing the team at the highest level. The camp was also supported by the Pakistan Sports Board.

President Arshad Sattar and Secretary Muhammad Inam reviewed the team’s preparations and extended their best wishes to the athletes.

The final training session of the Pakistan Wrestling Team will be held on 19th April 2026 at the Gujranwala Wrestling Complex.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan admits ‘failure’ after Rawalpindiz seventh loss

KARACHI: Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted personal failure after his side’s seventh successive loss in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars won by 32 runs over Rawalpindi, handing them their seventh straight loss in the tournament.

Talking to the media after the match, Rizwan highlighted the shortcomings, noting that he should have performed better.

“My performance hasn’t been good, but I am also a human being,” he told reporters.

He also revealed the reason for not keeping wickets, saying he had outlined a plan for the youngsters.

“We had planned for young players, and you can see I did not keep wickets because of fast bowler Razaullah, because I wanted to be alongside him to help him out,” he added.

Regarding positives, he tipped some players he believes have the potential to become future stars.

“I highly rate Abdullah Fazal, while Saad Masood is a positive player. We have no backup of Shadab Khan, but you can still see a spark in them, which is a player I believe for future,” Rizwan explained.

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“I personally believe a leader should not be judged only on individual performances but on overall contribution.”

Recalling his Big Bash experience and break from T20 cricket, he expressed confidence in his abilities to bounce back and perform well.

“When I went to the Big Bash, I told myself that I didn’t deserve a place in the team with this performance. I will come back with more hard work. This time the effort was less, so the result is like this.”

“We are humans. My performance is not up to the mark, but it does not mean I should quit cricket. I have said before as well that when my performance is not good, someone else should be given the opportunity,” the skipper concluded.

READ: Asif Ali reaches PSL sixes milestone during Rawalpindiz clash

San Francisco Unicorns became the fifth and final team to complete the Global Super League (GSL) 2026 lineup, which features top teams from around the globe, including Lahore Qalandars.

The tournament is set to run from July 23 to August 1 in Guyana.

The inclusion of Unicorns will mark the first time a team from Major League Cricket (MLC) will compete in the GSL.

The 2025 champions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Lahore Qalandars, are also set to take their brand of cricket to the global stage once again, with the franchise confirming participation in the GSL.

The upcoming edition will mark the Qalandars’ second appearance in the competition, having previously featured in the inaugural 2024 season, where they finished fourth in a five-team contest.

Besides Qalandars and Unicorns, Guyana Amazon Warriors from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Desert Vipers from the ILT20, and Perth Scorchers from the Big Bash League (BBL) will also feature in the upcoming edition.

Last year’s winner, Amazon Warriors, are the only franchise to feature in all three editions of the tournament.

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“We are delighted to have the San Francisco Unicorns join the Guyana Global Super League,” GSL chairman and former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd said in a statement.

“Their inclusion reflects the growing global footprint of the game and the strength of franchise cricket in the United States. We look forward to seeing them compete and contribute to what promises to be an outstanding tournament,” he added.

For the unversed, the tournament will comprise eleven games over ten days, with each team playing the other once before the top two advance to the final.

READ: Asif Ali reaches PSL sixes milestone during Rawalpindiz clash