Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam is basking in the glow of the team's success following five victories on the bounce that have propelled the team to the top spot in the PSL 2026 standings. Their latest victory was against Multan Sultans on Monday, where they came out all guns blazing across all departments to further stretch their victory momentum. Kusal Mendis once again stole the show with his 68 off 40 to fire Peshawar to a competitive total of 196/6 in 20 overs.
Earlier, opener Mohammad Harris had set the platform, firing a blazing 38 off 17 to keep the side brimming with confidence. However, dashing Babar Azam struggled to find rhythm, departing for 18-ball 20, having a strike rate of 90. Notably, Babar has been under the radar for his grim strike rate in the shortest format of the game, and after Zalmi's 24-run win over Multan Sultan, skipper Babar Azam was asked about his strike rate. Replying to the query, Babar asserted that you have to play according to the conditions, not just hitting randomly.
"You have to play differently at different numbers. At that time, what is required and how you have to play. You have to look at the scoreboard as well. And there is also a lot of hullabaloo with respect to strike rate. I believe that firstly you have to assess the conditions," Babar said at the press conference.
"The conditions matter a lot because you wouldn't get the same wicket every day. And you can't play in the same rhythm every day. You will face challenges. The opposition team also comes after doing their homework against you. You can't just hit shots randomly," Babar said.
Nevertheless, Zalmi have been unbeaten so far, having outplayed Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Rawalpindiz and Islamabad. As for Babar, he has accumulated 230 runs in five innings. Their next match is against Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday in Karachi.