Babar Azam Opens Up After Match-Winning Century In PSL

Peshawar Zalmi is into the PSL 11 final, powered by a Babar Azam hundred. He kept it simple. A brief raise of the bat, a look around, then straight back to focus. The innings, though, said everything.

His Babar Azam century against Islamabad United went beyond the numbers. The timing was crisp, the calls more assured. Afterward, the Zalmi captain admitted it himself, things are starting to click again.

“I’m beginning to feel like I’m getting back to my best,” he said, choosing his words carefully. No grand declarations, just a sense of relief mixed with focus.

The knock, 103 from 59 balls, anchored Zalmi’s 221. It wasn’t reckless hitting. He built it step by step. A boundary here, a rotation there, then sudden acceleration once the field spread.

A calmer Babar, a clearer approach

Through the tournament, questions had lingered around consistency. Not noise from outside alone, even players feel it. Babar didn’t dodge that reality.

He spoke about simplifying things. Reading conditions early. Picking moments rather than forcing them. It sounds basic, but under pressure, those basics often slip.

This PSL 11 qualifier showed the shift.

“When you trust your skills, things start coming together,” he added. That trust showed in how he handled different bowlers, especially during the middle overs where games often drift.

There was support around him too. Mohammad Haris attacked upfront, unsettling the opposition. Kusal Mendis ensured the tempo didn’t drop. That gave Babar room to shape the innings without rushing.

Still, the night didn’t end with the bat.

As Islamabad United began their chase, the game hovered for a while. Scores stayed close at the halfway stage. Then Zalmi’s bowlers took over.

Aaron Hardie broke partnerships. Sufiyan Muqeem tightened the grip. Runs slowed, pressure climbed, and wickets followed. Babar pointed straight at that phase, calling it decisive.

He also made sure to credit the group. Fielding, execution, small moments that don’t always make highlights but tilt matches.

Peshawar Zalmi now move into the final with momentum on their side. For Babar, though, the focus stayed personal and immediate. No talk of records or headlines. Just the next game, the same process.

And if this Babar Azam century is a sign of what’s coming, Zalmi carry more than just form into the final.