So whatās the takeaway? Cricket is not just about runs⦠itās about moments. Sultans had the start⦠Zalmi had the finish. Muqeemās spell. Ranaās 2 wickets for 24. Iftikharās control. Mendisā 68 off 40. All pieces of a bigger puzzle. And the final picture? Zalmi on top. Confident. Unbeaten. Table-toppers.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Deepak Prakash, Manan Mehta, and scorer Raju Khariya. Thatās it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesnāt sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi Captain): (On overall team performance) āAlhamdulillah, we are performing very well in all three departments - batting, bowling, and fielding. The plan is always to give our 100% and follow our strategies, and the whole team is executing that well.
(On defending a total after batting first) To be honest, in the first six overs, it felt like the pitch was very good for batting. After playing a few overs, I thought the score could go to around 180-200. But later, the ball started holding a bit, and spinners got some help.
(On Mendis' form and contribution) Credit goes to him for the way he played his innings. Heās been in great touch throughout the tournament, and we hope he continues this form and plays long innings for the team.
(On partnerships and team batting approach) The rest of the batters are contributing with small partnerships, which is important for building a good total.
(On reading the pitch and his experience) I donāt worry much about the pitch. We have more than 100 years of experience in Misbah and Iftikhar to judge in a better way."
Ashton Turner (Multan Sultans Captain): "(On the total Peshawar Zalmi got) The total was not far away from par. Maybe a little more than we wanted them to get. A great time for us to reflect. Clearly, we have been beaten by one of the best teams of the competition so a good learning for us yeah.
(Playing one less batter?) We are still trying to work out the combination. We have great bowling options and have the flexibility as 3 of our top 7 can give us overs. That gives us a lot of flexibility and allows us to play more options. However, too many options sometimes gives the captain a headache. Credit to them. They played top many good shots tonight and let's be fair they played both parts of the game very well. And we know that we still have to reach our top potential and we have to improve going forward."
Sufiyan Muqeem (POTM): "I try to stay composed and deliver for the team. [Best wicket in this match?] The wicket of Smith was my favourite, and it really boosted my confidence."
Player of the Match: Sufiyan Muqeem
Energetic Batter of the Match: Mohammad Haris
The Fazal Mahmood Cap goes to Sufiyan Muqeem for being the leading wicket taker of the tournament so far.
The Hanif Mohammad Cap goes to Kusal Mendis for being the leading run scorer of the tournament so far.
Catch of the Match: Shan Masood (For Farhan Yousaf's wicket)
Smart Wicket of the Match: Iftikhar Ahmed (For dismissing Sahibzada Farhan)