Advertisement
Advertisement
Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam etched his name in the history books on Sunday by becoming the first-ever player to feature in 100 Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.
The landmark appearance came during Zalmi’s rain-affected clash against Lahore Qalandars on Saturday night at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
However, the milestone was overshadowed by a forgettable defeat that also brought Zalmi’s PSL 10 campaign to a premature end.
Babar’s PSL journey began in 2016 with Islamabad United, where he was part of the title-winning squad in the league’s inaugural edition.
He later became the batting mainstay for Karachi Kings, where he spent five seasons and lifted the trophy in 2020.
In 2023, Babar was traded to Peshawar Zalmi in one of the most high-profile swaps in PSL history, taking over leadership duties as well.
Across his 100 PSL appearances, Babar has accumulated 3,792 runs, comfortably sitting at the top of the all-time run-scorers list.
He boasts an impressive average of 44.95, with two centuries and 36 half-centuries, a testament to his consistency and class in the T20 format.
Most Matches in PSL History:
Unfortunately for the star batter, his landmark match didn’t go as planned.
Batting under pressure in a revised 13-over chase of 150, Babar showed early intent with three boundaries but was dismissed for 16 off 13 by Sikandar Raza.
His wicket triggered a collapse, reducing Zalmi to 42/4, and despite some late resistance, they eventually fell short, ending at 123/8.
With this loss, Peshawar Zalmi were knocked out of PSL 10, marking the first time in the tournament’s history that the franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs.
