Akmal’s blitzkrieg powers Peshawar into playoffs

Kamran Akmal’s blistering 61-ball 107 knock helped Peshawar Zalmi cruise into the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League on Friday. Akmal’s blitzkrieg singlehandedly stole the game away from Lahore Qalandars helping Zalmi register a comfortable win by 7 wickets.

New Delhi: Kamran Akmal’s blistering 61-ball 107 knock helped Peshawar Zalmi cruise into the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League on Friday. Akmal’s blitzkrieg singlehandedly stole the game away from Lahore Qalandars helping Zalmi register a comfortable win by 7 wickets.

In his unbeaten knock of 107, the 36-year-old slammed 11 fours and 7 astronomical sixes. In the 16th over of the chase, one of Akmal’s lusty slog sweep helped the ball out of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

SIX! 15.1 Yasir Shah to Kamran Akmal
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/VecuwvxcJ3#LQvPZ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/t4qPHYvRa5

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 16, 2018

Akmal also brought his first hundred of the season in style slapping the ball towards deep square leg for a boundary. 

100 comes up for Kamran Akmal!
Watch ball by ball highlights at https://t.co/VecuwvxcJ3#LQvPZ #HBLPSL #PSL2018 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/CIl8Vf4pQb

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 16, 2018

Batting first, Lahore Qalandars posted a fighting total of 172 for 4 in their designated quota of 20 overs. After the early fall of Fakhar Zaman, Kiwi opener Anton Devcich (70 off 42 balls) along with Agha Salman (28 off 25 balls) steadied the Qalandars’ship. Towards the end Gulraiz Sadaf (26*) and Sohail Akhtar’s( 30 of 16 balls) useful contributions helped Lahore Qalandars post 172 on a terrific batting track .

Chasing the total, 36-year-old Akmal went all guns blazing against the Lahore bowlers. At the end of the powerplay overs, Peshawar Zalmi were cruising at 57 for the loss of one wicket. Akmal with his power hitting, smacked the ball all over the park, rattling Lahore’s bowling attack. Clobbering the ball with a strike rate of over 175, Akmal singlehandedly steered his team to a comfortable win with 12 balls to spare.

Akmal was awarded Man of the Match for his splendid knock.

Peshawar Zalmi will now face Quetta Gladiators in Eliminator 1 on 20th March at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.