ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: In-form Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai and Jonathan Wells propelled Peshawar Zalmi to its fourth Pakistan Super League final with a thumping eight-wicket victory over Islamabad United in the playoffs on Tuesday.
Left-handed Zazai, dropped on 7, smashed 66 off 44 balls and Wells, playing his first PSL game, made an unbeaten 55 as Peshawar romped to 177-2 with more than three overs to spare.
Islamabad earlier got the momentum back through Hasan Ali’s blistering 45 off just 16 balls to post what looked a challenging total of 174-9.
“It was a difficult route we took to the final but it’s a great feeling,” Peshawar skipper Wahab Riaz said. “We gave away some runs in the last few overs but the way we responded was great to see.”
Peshawar will face Multan Sultans in the final on Thursday.
Zazai made a blistering 77 to knock out defending champion Karachi Kings on Monday and continued his rich form with another half century that featured six fours and four towering sixes.
Ali could have dismissed Zazai in the third over, but wicketkeeper Muhammad Akhlaq dropped a low catch that cost Islamabad dearly in the end.
Zazai added a match-winning 126 off just 81 balls with Wells before Shoaib Malik scored 32 off just 10 balls to finish off the game in 16.5 overs. Malik smashed captain Shadab Khan (0-55) for two fours and a six in one over before raising the victory with three consecutive boundaries against Ali.
Earlier, Islamabad struggled to score after their in-form opener Usman Khawaja was run out in the first over. Colin Munro’s (44) straight drive hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end after flicking the boot of Malik as Khawaja was left stranded out of the crease.
Riaz (2-35) and Umaid Asif (2-44) picked up wickets with regular intervals as Islamabad reeled at 110-8 in the 16th over.
But Ali smashed Asif for 22 in the 17th over before Riaz went for 18 off his last over as Islamabad scored 64 runs off the last four before the two-time champion crashed out of the tournament.
Peshawar beats Islamabad, to play in 4th PSL final in Abu Dhabi
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Peshawar beats Islamabad, to play in 4th PSL final in Abu Dhabi
- Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai and Jonathan Wells propelled Peshawar Zalmi to fourth Pakistan Super League final
- Peshawar bags thumping eight-wicket victory over Islamabad United in the playoffs on Tuesday
Magnitude 5.6 earthquake jolts parts of Pakistan, no losses reported
- Tremors were felt in Swat, Peshawar and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as in the federal capital Islamabad
- Pakistan Meteorological Department measures quake’s depth at 114 km, identifies Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan as epicenter
ISLAMABAD: A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan on Wednesday evening, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said with no loss of lives or massive damage to property reported.
The tremors were felt in the federal capital, Islamabad, as well as the northwestern cities of Swat, Peshawar and Chitral in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the PMD said.
“An earthquake recorded on 25-02-2026 at 16:12 PST with a 5.6-magnitude and a depth of 114km,” the PMD said in a statement. “Its epicenter was the Hindu Kush Region Afghanistan.”
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.
In August last year, a shallow 6-magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan flattened mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people. Weeks later, a 6.3-magnitude quake in northern Afghanistan killed at least 27.
Powerful tremors struck western Herat in Afghanistan, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and the Nangarhar province in 2022, killing hundreds and destroying thousands of homes.
