Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi Live
PSL’s most perfectly balanced rivalry — live scores, streaming, the 2026 qualifier, head-to-head records and every classic clash.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
IU vs PZ at a Glance
The rivalry in four facts.
Streaming
Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi Live
How to watch — on matchday and right now.
No match is live today — the PSL season runs in the March–May window, and both teams are in their off-season. The next IU vs PZ meeting will come in PSL 12, confirmed for 18 March–2 May 2027. When the season is on, here is exactly where to watch: TV (Pakistan) — PTV Sports, A Sports, Ten Sports and Geo Super. Streaming (Pakistan) — Tamasha, Tapmad and Myco apps and websites. Live scores — ball-by-ball on ESPNcricinfo, Cricbuzz and the HBL PSL official app.
Watching from abroad: UK — ARY Digital (Sky 748); USA & Canada — Willow TV; Australia & New Zealand — ESPN; Middle East — Cricbuzz/Starzplay; Bangladesh — T Sports; Sri Lanka — Dialog TV; Nepal — Tapmad. Note: the PSL has no official broadcast partner in India. Bookmark this page: on the next matchday it becomes the live hub — toss, playing XIs, score updates and result within minutes of the final ball.
28 April 2026 · National Stadium, Karachi
The 2026 Qualifier
Babar’s hundred, Zalmi’s statement.
The last time these two met, it was for a place in the final — and Peshawar Zalmi produced one of the great PSL knockout performances. Islamabad United won the toss and chose to bowl, backing Karachi’s famous chasing record. Babar Azam made them regret it: 103 off 59 balls (12 fours, 4 sixes), a T20 hundred of rare authority, built on a 72-run opening stand with Mohammad Haris (35 off 16) and a 84-run partnership with Kusal Mendis (41 off 26). Zalmi posted 221/7 — Shadab Khan’s 3/42 the only resistance.
The chase died in the powerplay’s aftermath. Sameer Minhas (44 off 23) briefly threatened, but his dismissal — caught by Babar off Aaron Hardie — triggered a collapse: United lost 4 wickets for 32 runs and were bowled out for 151 in 18.4 overs. Hardie took 3/24, Mohammad Basit 2/19, Sufiyan Muqeem 2/25. Zalmi won by 70 runs, Babar was player of the match, and Peshawar marched into their first PSL final since 2019 — which they went on to win. The full scorecard is below.
History
The Rivalry
PSL’s original feud.
Islamabad United — three titles (2016, 2018, 2024), the PSL’s most successful club, the data-driven franchise. Peshawar Zalmi — champions in 2017 and now 2026, the people’s team with the league’s loudest fan base. Across ten seasons their meetings were perfectly poised at 13 wins apiece from 26 matches — the most balanced head-to-head in franchise T20 cricket anywhere. The 2026 season finally broke the tie: their league meeting on 31 March was abandoned without a ball bowled (rain, Gaddafi Stadium), and Zalmi’s qualifier win on 28 April moved them to 14–13 — the first clear lead either side has ever held.
The classics: PSL 2016 — Sharjeel Khan’s 117 off 62, the first century in PSL history, against Zalmi. PSL 2018 final — United chased 148 to lift the title, Luke Ronchi’s 52 breaking Zalmi hearts in Karachi. PSL 2022 Eliminator — Zalmi’s revenge, knocking United out of the playoffs. PSL 2024 Eliminator 2 — United chased 185 to advance. The rivalry’s individual kings: Kamran Akmal’s 447 runs against United — the most by any player in the fixture — and Wahab Riaz’s 23 wickets, the most by any bowler.
The Record
Head to Head
28 meetings, one lead.
| Meeting | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PSL 2016 | IU won | Sharjeel Khan 117 (62) — first PSL hundred |
| PSL 2018 Final, Karachi | IU won | Chased 148; Ronchi 52 — IU’s 2nd title |
| PSL 2022 Eliminator | PZ won | Zalmi knock United out of playoffs |
| PSL 2024 Eliminator 2 | IU won | United chase 185 to advance |
| 31 Mar 2026, Lahore | No result | Abandoned without a ball bowled (rain) |
| 28 Apr 2026, Karachi | PZ won by 70 runs | Babar 103 (59); PZ 221/7 vs IU 151 |
Overall: 28 meetings — Peshawar Zalmi 14, Islamabad United 13, 1 no-result. Highest total in the fixture: IU’s 247/2 (Abu Dhabi, 2021). The rivalry has never been more than one win apart — until now.
Stars
Key Players
The names that decide it.
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (captain) — 588 runs in PSL 2026 at 73.50, two hundreds, the league’s most complete batter, reinvented as a T20 aggressor. Kusal Mendis — 550 runs, the perfect foil. Mohammad Haris — powerplay chaos (35 off 16 in the qualifier). Sufiyan Muqeem — 22 wickets in 2026, the tournament’s leading spinner. Aaron Hardie — the Australian all-rounder who owned the playoffs.
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (captain) — leg-spin, lower-order hitting, and the tactical brain; 3/42 in the qualifier but outgunned on the night. Sameer Minhas — the breakout batter of 2026, whose 44 off 23 briefly scared Zalmi. Imad Wasim — the veteran all-rounder. Naseem Shah — when fit, the new-ball weapon Babar respects most. Coaches: Daren Sammy (Zalmi) vs Luke Ronchi (United) — two former champions masterminding from the dugout.
More PSL
Other PSL Rivalries
Beyond IU vs PZ.
Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings — the “El Clásico” of the PSL, Punjab vs Sindh pride, the league’s fiercest crowd fixture. Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi — the port city against the northern yellow storm; a live-match staple of every season. Multan Sultans — 2021 champions and perennial contenders, the team everyone measures themselves against. Quetta Gladiators — 2019 champions, forever dangerous. Watch any of them live on the same platforms: PTV Sports, A Sports, Ten Sports, Geo Super on TV; Tamasha, Tapmad and Myco for streaming.
Broadcast
Pakistan TV Live Cricket
Where cricket lives on TV.
PTV Sports — the free-to-air home of the PSL; every Pakistani household with a TV can watch without a subscription. A Sports, Ten Sports, Geo Super — the pay-TV complements with their own build-ups and analysis. Streaming: Tamasha (free), Tapmad and Myco carry every ball live on phones. The HBL PSL official app offers scores, highlights and streaming within Pakistan. For Pakistan’s international matches, the same channels apply — PTV Sports and A Sports share the national team’s rights.
Avoid piracy streams. Unlicensed “live match” sites are malware-ridden and illegal; the legal free options (PTV Sports on air, Tamasha on phone) mean there is no reason to risk them. On matchdays, this page links only to official sources.
28 April 2026 · Qualifier
Scorecard: The 2026 Qualifier
Ball by ball, the night Zalmi took the lead.
| Peshawar Zalmi 221/7 (20 ov) | R | B | 4s/6s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam (c) c Mohsin Riaz b Salman Mirza | 103 | 59 | 12/4 |
| Mohammad Haris c Chapman b Shadab | 35 | 16 | 5/2 |
| Kusal Mendis c Minhas b Faheem | 41 | 26 | 5/1 |
| Aaron Hardie lbw b Gleeson | 20 | 10 | 2/1 |
| Khurram Shahzad not out | 4 | 1 | 1/0 |
| Extras (lb 5, w 7, nb 1) | 13 |
| Islamabad United 151 (18.4 ov) | R | B | 4s/6s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sameer Minhas c Babar b Hardie | 44 | 23 | 7/1 |
| Imad Wasim c & b Mohammad Basit | 22 | 15 | 4/0 |
| Devon Conway c Samad b Bracewell | 20 | 14 | 1/2 |
| Shadab Khan (c) 3/42 (4 ov) · Gleeson 2/45 | |||
| Hardie 3/24 · Basit 2/19 · Sufiyan 2/25 |
Toss: Islamabad United elected to field. Result: Peshawar Zalmi won by 70 runs — National Bank Stadium, Karachi. Player of the match: Babar Azam.
PSL 11 · 26 Mar – 3 May 2026
PSL 2026 Season Recap
The season that changed the league.
PSL 11 was the league’s boldest reinvention: eight teams (up from six), 44 matches, and — for the first time — a player auction instead of the draft. The new franchises: Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Pindiz. Six venues hosted games: Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Rawalpindi, Multan, Karachi’s National Stadium, Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium and Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.
Peshawar Zalmi topped the group stage and never looked back: after the 70-run qualifier win over United, they beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by 5 wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on 3 May 2026 — Kingsmen 129 all out (Saim Ayub 54; Hardie 4/27), Zalmi 130/5 in 15.2 overs (Hardie 56*; Mohammad Ali 3/38) — before an announced crowd of 32,461. It ended Zalmi’s nine-year title drought and made them two-time champions. Babar Azam finished as the season’s top scorer with 588 runs; Sufiyan Muqeem led the wickets with 22.
18 March – 2 May 2027
PSL 12: What’s Next
The rivalry resumes.
The PSL has confirmed PSL 12 for 18 March–2 May 2027, and the player auction will return after its successful 2026 debut. The squad-building calendar — direct signings, retentions, the trade window and the auction — will be announced in the coming months, which means both squads are far from finalised and major player movement is expected. Will Babar’s Zalmi defend the title? Will United’s data-driven machine reclaim the edge in a rivalry now poised at 14–13? This page will carry the schedule, squads and streaming guide the moment the PCB announces them.
The Duel
Babar vs Shadab: The Captains
Pakistan’s two T20 faces.
Babar Azam (Zalmi) — Pakistan’s batting icon, transformed in 2026 into a genuine T20 destroyer: 588 runs at 73.50, two hundreds, and the qualifier century that broke United. Shadab Khan (United) — the leg-spinning all-rounder and tactical brain; his 3/42 in the qualifier was a lone hand on a night his team collapsed. Their duels — Shadab’s leg-breaks against Babar’s cover drives — are the fixture’s chess match, and both remain central to Pakistan’s national T20 plans.
Matchday
Tickets & Matchday
Be there.
Tickets: sold through the PCB’s official ticketing partner each season — book early for IU vs PZ; it is among the first fixtures to sell out. Venues: Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), National Bank Stadium (Karachi), Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Multan Cricket Stadium, Arbab Niaz Stadium (Peshawar) and Iqbal Stadium (Faisalabad). Timings: evening matches typically start at 7–8pm PKT. Matchday tips: arrive early for security checks, use ride-hailing or official shuttles, and carry a light jacket for night games in March.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What readers ask most — answered.
Is Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi live today?
No — the PSL is in its off-season. The next meeting comes in PSL 12 (18 March–2 May 2027).
Who won the last IU vs PZ match?
Peshawar Zalmi by 70 runs — the PSL 2026 Qualifier, 28 April 2026. PZ 221/7 (Babar 103 off 59) beat IU 151 at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Where can I watch IU vs PZ live?
On TV: PTV Sports, A Sports, Ten Sports, Geo Super. Streaming: Tamasha, Tapmad, Myco. Live scores: ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz.
Who has more PSL titles, IU or PZ?
Islamabad United: 3 (2016, 2018, 2024). Peshawar Zalmi: 2 (2017, 2026).
What is the IU vs PZ head-to-head record?
28 meetings: Peshawar Zalmi 14, Islamabad United 13, 1 no-result. It was 13–13 across 26 matches until Zalmi’s 2026 qualifier win broke the tie — the first clear lead in the rivalry’s history.
Who won PSL 2026?
Peshawar Zalmi — their second title. They beat debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by 5 wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 3 May 2026 (Aaron Hardie 4/27 and 56*).
When is PSL 12?
18 March–2 May 2027 — confirmed by the PSL, with the player auction returning.
What was Babar Azam’s score in the 2026 qualifier?
103 off 59 balls (12 fours, 4 sixes) — player of the match in Zalmi’s 70-run win.
Feature Pakistan’s PSL Guides cover every rivalry — verified.