Team Peshawar Zalmi (PZ) completed a record-breaking chase on 28th March, reaching a big target of 214 to beat the newcomers, Rawalpindiz (RP), by five wickets in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan.
In this high-scoring thriller, Peshawar Zalmi’s Michael Bracewell was named Player of the Match. He scored 35 runs on 17 balls and maintained a strike rate of 205.88 to guide his team with a composed performance during a frantic finish.
While skipper Babar Azam (39/28) and Mohammad Haris (47/28) laid a solid foundation with aggressive stroke play.
Crucially, it was Abdul Samad’s 33 runs off 11 balls that truly shifted the momentum. These contributions allowed Zalmi to hunt down a daunting target of 215, finishing the game at 218/5 with nearly an over to spare.
Rawalpindiz had earlier set the stage with a batting masterclass and posted a huge total of 214 runs in this fixture.
Despite their dominance for most of the evening, team Rawalpindiz struggled to contain team Zalmi’s batsmen in the final stretch of the second innings.
Detailed Match Summary (Peshawar Zalmi vs Rawalpindiz)
Rawalpindiz won the toss and elected to bat first.
| Peshawar Zalmi Playing XI | Rawalpindi Pindiz Playing XI |
|---|---|
| Babar Azam (c) | Mohammad Rizwan (c) |
| Mohammad Haris | Yasir Khan |
| Kusal Mendis | Kamran Ghulam |
| Aaron Hardie | Daryl Mitchell |
| Farhan Yousaf | Sam Billings |
| Michael Bracewell | Abdullah Fazal |
| Abdul Samad | Amad Butt |
| Aamer Jamal | Rishad Hossain |
| Sufiyan Muqeem | Naseem Shah |
| Shoriful Islam | Mohammad Amir |
| Ali Raza | Asif Afridi |
First Innings Summary
The first innings saw a relentless display of power hitting from team Rawalpindiz:
Powerplay Overs (1 to 6)
Rawalpindi’s openers, Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan, came out with a clear plan to attack.
They took advantage of the flat Lahore track and short boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking at over ten runs per over.
By the end of the power play, team Rawalpindiz had established a fearless platform without losing a single wicket.
Middle Overs (7 to 15)
Zalmi’s spinners tried to restrict scorings, but Yasir Khan smashed 83 runs off 46 balls.
The openers reached a massive 125 runs before Ali Raza finally removed Rizwan for 41 runs. Even after the breakthrough, the Rawalpindiz kept the pressure high, reaching 154/1 by the end of the 15th over.
Death Overs (16 to 20)
The final five overs were pure carnage. Kamran Ghulam accelerated with 37 runs off 20 balls, while Daryl Mitchell (23/13) and Sam Billings (18/8) added swift boundaries to the total. Such a performance from Rawalpindiz helped them finish with a towering 214 on the scoreboard.
Bowling Performance
Ali Raza was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi. He dismissed 2 batsmen, Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan and conceded 42 runs in a high-scoring game. While Sufiyan Muqeem and Michael Bracewell also contributed to attacks that challenged Rawalpindiz’s batsmen from scoring smoothly.
Second Innings Summary
Peshawar Zalmi produced strategic batting to chase down 215 runs and finished at 218/5.
Powerplay Overs (1 to 6)
Zalmi knew they needed a fast start, and Mohammad Haris (47/28) delivered just that.
Alongside Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris took on team Rawalpindiz new-ball bowlers, finding gaps with utmost precision. They kept the required rate under control from the very first over, ensuring the chase never went out of reach.
Middle Overs (7 to 15)
Rawalpindi fought back through Amad Butt, who dismissed Mohammad Haris to dent the chase.
Babar Azam was dismissed lbw by Asif Afridi in the 8.4th over.
Amad Butt dismissed Kusal Mendis in the 14.1st over.
Consequently, team Rawalpindiz bowled more accurately, sticking to good line and length, making it harder for batters to score freely, which forced the Zalmi middle order to take risks. By the 15th over, the game was balanced on a knife-edge with Zalmi needing a miracle finish.
Death Overs (16 to 20)
The miracle arrived in the form of Abdul Samad, who played a sensational knock of 33 runs from only 11 balls, including four massive sixes. His strike rate of 300 turned the game on its head.
Michael Bracewell (35/17) then took over, hitting the winning runs in the 20th over to seal a historic victory.
Conclusion
The third match of PSL 2026 provided one of the most entertaining spectacles in the tournament’s history. For Peshawar Zalmi, this win proves they have the batting depth to chase any total, no matter how large.
For Rawalpindiz, it was a bittersweet end to their debut match. However, it set a very high bar for the rest of the season.
Take a look at the latest PSL points table after Match 3 to see where both teams stand.
Here, you can watch the full highlights of Peshawar Zalmi vs Rawalpindiz, 3rd Match of PSL ’26.
