KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam hailed the team’s all-around performance against Lahore Qalandars in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
Zalmi dominated Qalandars, sealing a decisive 76-run victory here at the National Bank Stadium after posting 173-7 on the board at the end of the 20 overs.
Kusal Mendis starred again with the bat, scoring 74 from 48 balls, and earned the player of the match award.
Meanwhile, Babar anchored the innings with 43 off 40 balls, including a six and three fours.
In reply, Lahore Qalandars were bowled out cheaply for 97 in 17 overs, thanks to Sufyan Muqeem and Michael Bracewell’s spin bowling.
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During the post-match presentation, Babar commended Peshawar Zalmi for a strong performance and revealed the game plan in the first six overs.
“It was a strong performance, especially with the way we started with the bat. We recognized early on that the pitch was playing a little differently, so our primary plan was to fully utilize the first six overs while the ball was hard,” he said.
“Once the Powerplay ended, the conditions became significantly slower, so we made a conscious effort to consolidate and ensure we didn’t lose wickets in clusters. Kusal Mendis played exceptionally well during that phase to keep the pressure on,” he added.
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The right-hander also talked about his own form, noting that staying on the crease longer boosts his confidence.
“On a personal level, it always feels better the more time you spend out in the middle. When you stay at the crease, the runs start to come more naturally, and your confidence grows,” the skipper explained.
“My focus is always on doing what is best for the team—whether that’s rotating the strike to keep things moving or finding that odd boundary from time to time to keep the momentum in our favor,” he concluded.
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