Colin Munro, the New Zealand batsman playing for Islamabad United, brought joy to a ball boy by sharing a heartwarming hug during the PSL 2024 match against Peshawar Zalmi.
In the 19th over of Peshawar’s run chase, when the outcome of the game was already determined, Arif Yaqoob sent the ball sailing for a maximum over deep square leg on the second-to-last delivery. The ball boy, who had previously missed a catch, redeemed himself with a remarkable catch.
After the initial drop, Munro embraced the boy, providing guidance on catching. When the boy successfully took a catch in the 19th over, Munro was delighted and shared a hug with him, creating one of the most heartwarming moments on the cricket field in recent times.
You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/thepslt20/status/1764708443510673669?s=46
Regrettably for Munro, his batting performance was not noteworthy, managing a 15 off nine balls in Islamabad’s innings. Nevertheless, after his dismissal, the team soared, posting an impressive 196/4 in 20 overs.
Subsequently, they comfortably defended the score, securing a 29-run victory to move ahead of Peshawar to third place on the points table. Despite both teams having the same seven points from as many games, Islamabad holds a significantly better net run rate.
Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are closely competing for PSL Playoff qualification
Experiencing a sense of déjà vu from the previous year, Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are once again in a comparable situation on the PSL 2024 points table.
In the six-team competition where the top four advance to the playoffs, both teams share the same points and have three matches left. In the previous season, Islamabad secured the third position by a slim margin of just one win over Peshawar, who finished fourth.
However, Peshawar, occupying a lower seed, eliminated Islamabad in the playoffs, but then faced defeat against Lahore Qalandars in Qualifier 2. In the current season, both teams are facing pressure from the Karachi Kings, who are in fifth place with four points in six games.
This sets the stage for another thrilling conclusion to the league stages of PSL 2024. Interestingly, Islamabad and Peshawar clinched the first three PSL trophies, with Islamabad winning in the inaugural and third seasons, while Peshawar secured the title in the second season in 2017.
However, despite consistently making playoff appearances, the two franchises have struggled to attain championship success in the subsequent five seasons.
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