PZ vs IU, PSL 2026 Qualifier: Peshawar enter final, Islamabad to play eliminator

Imad Wasim perishes now, as Basit has his first wicket. A leading edge and caught and bowled. And there you go. Salman Mirza is caught out and they are all out for 151. Peshawar is in final.

Imad Wasim has struck four fours already and has raced to 21 from 12, but then he should have been sent earlier. They kept losing wickets ever since they lost Sameer Minhas.

Khurram has his first wicket of the night, and Chris green is caught out to Babar Azam. Mere proceedings remaing in this match. Imad Wasim is trying his best, gets 11 from 5, but it is too little, too late.

Islamabad is giving it up easy as Muqeem has his second wicket of the night. This time he gets the wicket of Mark Chapman, who scores 4 from 9. Khurran Shahzad is the catcher. Wait, another wicket falls in the over, as Faheem Ashraf is run out. Poor cricket by Islamabad.

Aaron Hardie has been a massive addition in the Peshawar team. He now gets his third wicket here, as he manages to get rid of Haider Ali. 113 runs still needed to win.

Suddenly, there is only one team from here, who can win the match.. That will be Peshawar, who will move into the final. Riaz steps down, Muqeem has a wicket. Abdul Samad takes a good catch at long off.

Top edge and Shadab Khan is a goner. Aaron Hardie has his second wicket, and Islamabad should be a concerned unit right now.

It is clear that Islamabad don't want to take any risk against Sufiyan Muqeem. But that could be the wrong ploy eventually.

And after getting three lifelines, Sameer Minhas has finally fallen. He is caught by Babar Azam for 44 from 23, and Aaron Hardie is the bowler. Peshawar slowly clawing their way back into the match.

At the end of the PP, Islamabad are 64/1. So, who is the better-placed team? One would say, it is Islamabad, with batting resources until no. 8. Peshawar need a couple of wickets.

This is an excellent batting wicket, and that is reflecting in the way Islamabad are going about the chase. Now Samee Minhas gets his first six, and Bracewell is at the receiving end. And a wicket here. Conway is caught out by Abdul Samad.

This is for the second time that Minhas edges one, and again he gets a four for it. Keeper misses the catch. And that is not it. Minhas survives a run out chance as well. A six to end the over for Conway.

It is a refreshing start by Islamabad. Even edges are flying for boundaries. Sameer Minhas is on a roll, as he gets three consecutive boundaries. Khurram is under pressure.

Sameer Minhas and Devon Conway start the proceedings for IU. Iftikhar Ahmed to start for Peshwar. Both the batters get a boundary each in the first over here.

THis is an excellent score for Peshawar. There is an appeal for an LBW against Aaron Hardie and the umpire has given it out. He departs for 20 from 11. A big effort by the Peshawar team here. Four to end the proceedings.

Babar is nearing a ton here. He has struck 11 fours and 3 sixes and, this could be a match-winning innings. Gleeson is having a bad night. A six and he gets to a 100 in only 57 deliveries.

Two wickets in an over, and it is a hat-trick chance. Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell  get out on consecutive deliveries. Islamabad pulling things back.

Babar having his beat season ever

14 sixes for Babar Azam in PSL 2026 so far 💛🔥

His highest in a single season#psl #hblpsl #zalmi #babarazam #king pic.twitter.com/PjsryFxEi9

— Doctor (@arslaniqbal122) April 28, 2026

Faheem Ashraf is also failing to contain the runs. 200 is what Peshawar should be looking at, at least. Oh and what has happened here. Mendis has been dismissed for 41. A decent knock from his bat.

Babar and Mendis are starting to use the long handle. Shadab looks a bit nervous and bowls three wides in the over. This is poor bowling. Babar ends the over with a six, and he moves into the 70s.

Yet another fifty for Babar in this tournament, and he is just showing, what a class act he is. He needs to stay at the crease till the very end. Peshawar 113/1 in 12 overs.

Last three overs have just fetched 12 runs, and that is not good at all by Peshwar. Something needs to give. Babar has also slowed down now, and Kusal seems to be struggling.

This happened a while back

Babar Azam has completed 500 runs in the PSL 2026. 🔥 #HBLPSL11 pic.twitter.com/RB3MbQmF7Y

— Mr.Cricket (@karimbuxb20) April 28, 2026

And in the 7trh over, Mohammad Haris has finally been removed. Shadab Khan has produced the first wicket, and Haris is out for 35 from 16. He has done his job already.

Such is the pressure on Islamabad, that they are starting to concede runs through over throws. Babar gets bonus four runs now. Then he cuts straight to point, and was nearly caught. Nonetheless, he survives, and hits another four.

Islamabad need to pull things back, and it looks like, they are already under pressure. Shadab needs to come himself to the rescue. 10 runs again from this Salman Mirza over.

Two fours in the over, and Babar is now the highest run getter here in PSL 2026. He gets to 501 runs, and this is a phenomenal achievement. He is delivering once again. A six to end the over, and a classic shot over deep mid wicket.

Spin has to come good for Islamabad; they can contain the runs. Meanwhile, Haris gets a massive six over mid wicket area. A good powerplay is what they need. Expensive one comes to an end.

Haris and Babar open the innings and Gleeson is the one who starts the bowling attack. A four through deep mid wicket for the skipper, and Peshawar are away. Decent start for the favorites.

And the match gets underway. Islamabad could be in trouble, as league's highest scorer, Kusal Mendis will come in at no. 3. Everything working for them at the moment.

If Peshawar get to 175 or more, it will be a very competitive total. Babar needs to come good again, and then leave the rest to Muqeem. It is an easy scrpit for Peshawar.

Peshawar Zalmi XI: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Basit Ali

Islamabad United XI: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (capt), Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain, Richard Gleeson

The pitch looks good and a bit dry. We need to start strong and maintain momentum. Our top-order has performed well, and we hope to continue this trend. Just play according to our plans. We just want to do well in front of the crowds. We have two changes. Aaron Hardie and Mohammad Haris are in; they replace James Vince and Ali Raza

Urooj Mumtaz is with both the skippers and Babar flips the coin. Islamabad win the toss and Shadab Khan has opted to bowl first. Babar Azam will bat first.

Dew can generally be a consideration, in the second innings, and the team bowling second might have an issue bowling spin. So, it is a double edged sword for now, and both skippers will have to be smart about the decisions they make.

Apart from Babar's dominace, it is spinner Sufiyan Muqeem who has been excellent so far. In just 9 matches, for Peshawar, he has gone on to pick 19 wickets where his economoy has been 7.47 only. Islamabad could have a tough time here.

In 9 matches, Babar has been exceptional for Peshawar, which has been a key reason for their success. He has scored 485 runs at an average of 80, and if he gets going, Peshawar will go to the finals easily.

Still some time for the match to start and whichever side wins the toss, should opt to bat first. These playoffs are tough, pressure matches, and it is not the easiest to chase down a big total.

On the flip side, Islamabad United have fully embraced their traditional brand of fearless, high-octane cricket. Under Shadab Khan's captaincy, Islamabad have pulled off some incredible run chases this year. Their middle order is packed with power hitters who can change the complexion of a game in just a few overs, particularly when the fielding restrictions are lifted. Furthermore, their spin department has been exceptionally economical during the middle phases of the innings.

Sameer Minhas has already made his name with 299 runs at a strike rate of 151.77, while Shadab Khan is back in form with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 6.46. With the PSL 2026 Final spot on the line, it will be a clash of two excellent units.

When we talk about pure consistency and flair in PSL 2026, Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United are the first teams that come to mind. Peshawar Zalmi, led by the ever-reliable Babar Azam, has been an absolute force to reckon with this season. Their top-order batting has regularly set massive totals, while their versatile bowling attack has been clinical in defending them. Even Babar Azam has proved his doubters wrong with 485 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 141.39. He already has a century and three fifty+ scores. Along with Babar, Kusal Mendis has also been in form, scoring 500 runs. The two are the top scorers of PSL 2026.

Throughout PSL 2026, the National Stadium in Karachi has served two sets of pitches. One has been batter's paradise with Peshawar Zalmi scoring 255/3 against Quetta Gladiators. The other strip has been friendly to bowlers with slow, two-paced pitch making it difficult to play shots at will. 

If the PSL 2026 Qualifier serves a batting-friendly pitch, expect a lot of runs from Peshawar's Kusal Mendis and Babar Azam. Peshawar will also have the advantage if a slow pitch is served with Sufiyan Muqeem in top form.

Historically, the rivalry between these two sides has been incredibly tight, making them two of the most evenly matched teams in tournament history. In 28 matches so far in the Pakistan Super League, Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United have won 13 matches each, with two games ending in a no result. 

Stat	Peshawar Zalmi	Islamabad United
Matches	28	28
No Results	2	2
Matches Won	13	13
Highest Score	232	247