Peshawar Zalmi pulled off a thrilling chase of 215 against debutants Rawalpindi Pindiz in Lahore, with Michael Bracewell and Abdul Samad turning the game late in a high-scoring PSL 2026 contest.
Peshawar Zalmi kicked off their PSL 2026 campaign with a dramatic five-wicket win over Rawalpindi Pindiz, chasing down 215 with five balls to spare in the third match of the tournament at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Zalmi finished on 218 for 5 in 19.1 overs after Rawalpindi Pindiz had posted 214 for 4.
The chase looked steep for long stretches, but Zalmi found their finishers at exactly the right time. Mohammad Haris gave the innings early momentum with 47, while Babar Azam added 39. The decisive blow came late, when Michael Bracewell smashed an unbeaten 35 off 17 balls and Abdul Samad blasted 33 from just 11 deliveries, combining for a 64-run fifth-wicket stand off only 23 balls.
According to ESPN’s match report, Zalmi still needed 74 from the last five overs when the game appeared to be slipping away. Bracewell and Samad then flipped the contest with a burst of power-hitting, before Aamer Jamal’s unbeaten 17 off five balls helped shut the door on the Pindiz. Bracewell was named Player of the Match for his late cameo.
Earlier, Rawalpindi Pindiz had put Zalmi under serious pressure with a strong batting effort led by Yasir Khan’s 83 off 46 balls. Mohammad Rizwan made 41, while Kamran Ghulam chipped in with 37 and Daryl Mitchell added 23, lifting the debutants to an imposing 214 for 4 from their 20 overs. For Zalmi, Ali Raza picked up two wickets, while Aaron Hardie and Aamer Jamal claimed one each.
The result gave Zalmi a winning start and produced one of the standout chases of the early PSL 2026 season. ESPN noted that it was the first time Zalmi had successfully chased a target this big in the PSL, and only the third successful 200-plus chase in PSL history at Gaddafi Stadium.
