LAHORE: Yasir Khan’s explosive knock, along with key contributions from Mohammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam and Daryl Mitchell, guided RawalPindiz to an imposing total against Peshawar Zalmi in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 debut at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
After electing to bat first, RawalPindiz posted a strong 214-4 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to an aggressive start from their opening pair. Yasir Khan and captain Mohammad Rizwan laid a solid foundation, attacking from the outset and maintaining a brisk scoring rate.
The duo initially put together a 50-run stand before extending it to a commanding 100-run opening partnership, keeping the pressure firmly on Zalmi’s bowlers. Yasir played the lead role, bringing up his third PSL half-century, while Rizwan complemented him with fluent stroke play.
Aggressive approach
Their 125-run partnership was eventually broken in the 13th over when Ali Raza dismissed Rizwan for 41 off 32 balls, which included five fours and a six. Yasir, however, continued his aggressive approach and looked set for a century before falling in the 15th over to the same bowler for 83 off 46 deliveries, featuring seven fours and six sixes.
In the latter stages, Kamran Ghulam and Daryl Mitchell added quick runs to maintain momentum. Ghulam scored 37 off 20 balls before being dismissed by Aaron Hardie, while Mitchell contributed 23 from 13 deliveries before falling to Aamir Jamal.
Sam Billings provided a late boost with an unbeaten 18 off eight balls, helping RawalPindiz cross the 200-run mark comfortably.
