Lahore: Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam made his Pakistan Super League (PSL) debut today for Peshawar Zalmi in their tournament opening game against Rawalpindi Pindi at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. However, Shoriful’s first outing was not as successful as he might have hoped, as he conceded 31 runs in his four overs.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Peshawar Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam entrusted Shoriful with the responsibility to open the bowling after Rawalpindi elected to bat first. Rawalpindi’s openers, Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan, who is also the team’s captain, handled Shoriful’s bowling with ease, providing their side with a strong start. The duo built a solid opening stand of 125 runs, setting a strong platform for their team.
Yasir Khan, who particularly targeted Shoriful, scored an impressive 83 runs off 46 balls, which included seven fours and six sixes, making him the top scorer for the team. Rizwan contributed with 41 runs. The other batters also made valuable contributions, helping Rawalpindi to post an imposing total of 214-4.
Rawalpindi also featured another Bangladeshi player, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, in their squad. Although Rishad did not get a chance to bat due to the strong performance from the top order, he is expected to play a crucial role in defending the total on a pitch that appeared to favor the batsmen.