Peshawar Zalmi kicked off their innings with a bang, as openers Saim Ayub and Babar Azam steered their team to 54/0 by the close of the powerplay. However, their momentum was abruptly halted as they lost key wickets of Ayub, Mohammad Haris, and Haseebullah Khan, courtesy of Arafat Minhas and Hasan Ali.
All eyes turned to Babar Azam, who was eyeing his fifth half-century of the season to push for a substantial score. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side as the 29-year-old was run out, leaving him visibly frustrated.
In the 13th over’s final delivery, Zahid Mahmood bowled a full-length ball to Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who elegantly drove it towards mid-on. Following the shot, Kohler-Cadmore quickly initiated a single but the situation escalated when he called for a risky second run, and Babar responded without hesitation.
However, amid the chaos, Babar failed to notice Mahmood, who had sprinted in from the bowler’s end to retrieve the ball. Mahmood swiftly threw it to Karachi’s skipper Shan Masood, positioned at the bowler’s end, who promptly removed the bails. Unfortunately, Babar couldn’t reach the crease in time, as confirmed by the third umpire’s decision.
— Shanaka Kundu (@KunduShanaka) March 11, 2024
— Shanaka Kundu (@KunduShanaka) March 11, 2024
The run-out left Babar seething with frustration, evident as he berated himself while walking back to the pavilion. Upon entering the dressing room, he unleashed his fury, slamming his bat onto a nearby chair and angrily discarding his gloves in regret over the unfortunate run-out.