PSL thriller: Zalmi chase

Peshawar Zalmi chased 215 in 19.1 overs on March 28, beating Rawalpindiz by five wickets in the Pakistan Super League’s third match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. (cricbuzz.com) Zalmi finished on 218 for 5, with Michael Bracewell unbeaten on 35 from 17 balls and Aamer Jamal adding 17 from five at the end of the chase. Cricbuzz’s live report said Zalmi got there despite not having a half-century scorer. (cricbuzz.com) Rawalpindiz had made 214 for 4 in their 20 overs after Yasir Khan scored 83 from 46 balls, Mohammad Rizwan made 41 from 32, and Kamran Ghulam added 37 from 20. Ali Raza took two wickets for Zalmi, while Aaron Hardie and Aamer Jamal took one each. (espncricinfo.com) The chase turned on depth rather than one long innings. Mohammad Haris made 47, Abdul Samad hit 33 from 11 balls, and Bracewell closed it out after Zalmi had already crossed 200 in the 19th over. (espncricinfo.com) That total would usually be enough in a Twenty20 match, where each side gets 20 overs and teams often treat 180 as a strong score. In Lahore, both sides scored at more than 10 runs an over, with Rawalpindiz at 10.70 and Zalmi at 11.37. (wisden.com) The game came early in an expanded 2026 Pakistan Super League season that runs from March 26 to May 3 and features eight teams instead of six. The March 28 fixture was one of two matches scheduled that day in Lahore. (olympics.com) Bracewell was named player of the match for his unbeaten 35 and his three overs of offspin, which went for 33 runs without a wicket. ESPNcricinfo’s impact model separately rated Abdul Samad as the match MVP after his late 11-ball burst. (espncricinfo.com) The result also held up as the season moved on. In ESPNcricinfo’s standings published after later matches, Zalmi remained unbeaten through eight games, with this five-wicket chase listed as their opening win of the campaign. (espncricinfo.com)