Watch: Haris Rauf 'Finally' Dismisses Babar Azam, Special Celebration Follows

08.03.2023 - 07:19 sports.ndtv.com

Franchise leagues give players a unique opportunity to play against opponents they otherwise would not be able to. In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Haris Rauf got such an opportunity to play against the national team skipper Babar Azam.

The match between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars saw the two stalwarts come up against each other, and Haris finally was able to get the better of Babar, a batter whose wicket he was desperate to get for a long time.

It was the first time that Haris dismissed Babar since the video went viral where the Pakistani pacer was talking about getting the star batter's scalp as well as a few other top players like Virat Kohli.

In that video, Rauf had told Babar that he wants his wicket. "Jo marzi ho jaaye, par wicket leni hai. Ek Kohli bacha hoya hai, tussi bache huye ho.

cricket watch Shaheen Afridi Babar Azam Haris Rauf Pakistan Lahore county Kings

The Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars were recently crowned the Pakistan Super League. Lahore Qalandars became the first team to win back-to-back Pakistan Super League titles on Saturday, beating Multan Sultans by one run in a thrilling final. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4-51 after smashing a rapid 44 not out but had to effect a run out at the bowler's end as Multan's Khushdil Shah tried to make a third run to force a super over. Qalandars had scored 200-6 in their 20 overs before a packed 25,000 Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Sultans finished on 199-8.

The Hundred Draft: Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf Picked Up By Welsh Fire

The Hundred draft on Thursday saw 30 men's players picked across the eight teams and overall 64 players were picked up across the men's and women's categories by eight teams. Welsh Fire went above and beyond to snap the Pakistan pacer duo of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf for the tournament. Welsh Fire's new coach Michael Hussey first selected Tom Abell and Tim David in the draft, then the head coach went to pick the Pakistan pacer duo, as well as the all-round skills of David Willey.

Watch: Shaheen Afridi Consoles Babar Azam As Lahore Qalandars Knock Peshawar Zalmi Out Of PSL

Lahore Qalandars defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 4 wickets in the Eliminator 2 of the ongoing Pakistan Super League on Friday. Mohammad Haris' 85 off 54 balls and Babar Azam's 42 off 36 steered Zalmi to 171 for 5 in 20 overs after the side opted to bat first in the game. In reply, Mirza Tahir Baig's 54 off 42 balls helped Qalandars reach home with seven balls to spare. With the win, the Shaheen Afridi-led side set up a final with Multan Sultans that will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on March 18.

"Didn't Help Team...": Babar Azam's Admission On His Form After Peshawar Zalmi's PSL Exit

Star batter Babar Azam expressed disappointment after Peshawar Zalmi failed to reach the final of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). Lahore Qalandars made it to the final of the PSL for the third time in the last four years, after beating the Babar-led Zalmi by four wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. Despite enjoying a good season with the bat, Babar, who scored 42 off 36 balls, was criticial of his performance, saying that his form wasn't enough to take his team to the final.

Babar Azam Smashes All-Time Record, Goes Past Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle

One of the finest batters of this generation, Babar Azam has been running riot with the bat in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this season. The batter, at present, occupies the second spot in the list of top run-getters, only behind Mohammad Rizwan. As Babar led Peshawar Zalmi to an important win over Islamabad United with a 64-run knock, he went on to smash a world record. Babar went past greats like Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle in the process, becoming the first fastest batter to score 9000 runs in T20 cricket.

Watch: Shadab Khan's Firm Response To Reporter On Calling Babar Azam 'Former' Captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) brought about a change in the squad for the Afghanistan T20I series, with skipper Babar Azam being rested. The decision prompted the board to assign the captaincy to Shadab Khan for the series. Though it's a change made only for the Afghanistan series, the chatter around Babar being permanently replaced as T20I captain has gained momentum. Shadab Khan, attending a Pakistan Super League (PSL) press conference, even had to remind a journalist that Babar isn't a 'former captain' but has only been rested from the Afghanistan series.