PSL 2026: Bracewell, Samad help Peshawar Zalmi snatch victory from jaws of defeat

Match Overview

Quickfire cameos from Michael Bracewell (unbeaten 35 off 17) and Abdul Samad (33 from 11) in a 23-ball 64-run fifth-wicket partnership helped Peshawar Zalmi steal a five-wicket win from the jaws of defeat against Rawalpindi Pindiz in their PSL 2026 opener in Lahore on March 28.

After choosing to bat first, Pindiz had openers Yasir Khan (83 off 46) and Mohammad Rizwan (41 off 32) to thank as they raced off to 63 for no loss in the powerplay, taking the opposition bowlers to the cleaners. The onslaught continued well after the powerplay, ending in the 13th over when Ali Raza removed Rizwan. Raza returned in his next over to send back Yasir, who struck seven fours and six sixes in his aggressive knock.

Despite the double whammy, Pindiz did not allow the scoring rate to drop, with Kamran Ghulam (37 off 20) and Daryl Mitchell (23 off 13) adding 41 for the third wicket in just 20 balls. While Aaron Hardie saw the back of Ghulam in the 18th over, Sam Billings came out swinging, with his unbeaten eight-ball 18 taking his team to an imposing 214 for 4.

Chasing a stiff total, Zalmi flew off the blocks quickly as their captain and opener Babar Azam and his partner Mohammad Haris knocked down 62 runs in the powerplay. However, unlike their rivals, Zalmi could not sustain the aggression and endured a middle-overs slowdown, which eventually led to Babar’s wicket for a 28-ball 39. Haris followed suit, perishing in the next over for a 28-ball 47.

In next, Kusal Mendis upped the scoring with his 17-ball 31, even though Hardie was dismissed cheaply. Mendis, however, could not last too long, falling in the next over with Zalmi needing an improbable 85 to win from 35 balls. That is when Bracewell and Samad turned the game on its head with a match-changing fifth-wicket alliance, smacking 18 runs off Rishad Hossain in the 16th over before belting 16 off Naseem Shah in the 17th. The carnage did not stop there, with the duo taking apart Mohammad Amir in a 19-run 18th over.

Amir managed to see the back of Samad on the last ball but that was merely a consolation wicket in the midst of a ruthless walloping as Aamer Jamal did not waste any time, joining Bracewell to pick 20 runs off the penultimate over to level the scores. Jamal dispatched the first ball of the final over to backward square leg fence to take his team across the line.

Top run-scorer of the match

Top wicket-taker of the match

Player of the match

Michael Bracewell

Bracwell was at his rampaging best, smashing 35 off just 17 balls with three fours and two sixes. His 64-run stand off just 23 balls with Abdul Samad changed the course of the match.

What the captains said

Winning Team Captain, Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi)

After the first half, we had planned to bat well in the first six overs and then maintain the momentum. Our middle-order responded really well, played according to the situation and in the end, we finished well. We will decide based on the conditions (whether to bat or bowl first).

Losing Team Captain, Mohammad Rizwan (Rawalpindi Pindiz)

We need to focus on our bowling. The batters are in good form. However, in bowling, our lengths need to be fixed.