19-year-old Maaz Sadaqat made a superb start to his PSL career, slamming a rapid half-century on debut to help his side gain two crucial points.
On Friday (May 2), Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United faced off at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for what was a crucial match for the former. Islamabad skipper Shadab Khan chose to bat first, and despite a solid start, saw his side slip from 62-1 to 91-6 in the middle overs. A late blitz from Ben Dwarshuis (33* off 17) lifted them to 143-9.
Match 22, Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United
vs
- Ball by ball Over
In the chase, Peshawar lost openers Mitchell Owen and Saim Ayub in the first two overs, with just 12 on the board. Mohammad Haris steadied the ship briefly, before he was caught at fine leg trying to ramp Riley Meredith.
19-year-old Maaz Sadaqat slams brisk fifty on PSL debut
That dismissal brought 19-year-old Maaz Sadaqat, on PSL debut, to the crease with the score at 38-3 in 5.5 overs. At that point, Peshawar needed 106 off 85 balls, with the Powerplay virtually over.
Sadaqat got off the mark off his first ball with a double, and it wasn't until the tenth over that he hit a boundary – pulling medium pacer Kyle Mayers behind square on the leg side for six. Three balls later, he dispatched a slower ball straight down the ground to really kickstart his innings.
Naseem Shah, Ben Dwarshuis and fellow rookie Saad Masood were all taken down, as Sadaqat took the initiative in an eventual 102-run stand with skipper Babar Azam (53*). He reached a half-century off 30 balls in the 14th over, and was finally out for 55 off 33 with Peshawar just four runs from victory – which they managed with 20 balls to spare.
Prior to his PSL debut, Sadaqat averaged just under 30 at a strike rate of 131 in T20 cricket, and finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the inaugural Champions T20 Cup last year.
He is only the fourth teenager to record a fifty-plus score in the PSL. He is also the second-youngest to score a fifty on debut in the competition, just six days older than teammate Haseebullah Khan who did so in 2023.
He is also the eighth teenager to be named Player of the Match in the PSL. Mohammad Asghar and Mohammad Hasnain each have two such awards to their name, while Hassan Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Noor Ahmad and Shaheen Shah Afridi have one each.
Youngest players to score a PSL half-century
| Name | Team | Score | Age | Year |
| Qasim Akram | Karachi Kings | 51* (26) | 19y 75d | 2022 |
| Haider Ali | Peshawar Zalmi | 69 (43) | 19y 160d | 2020 |
| Haseebullah Khan^ | Peshawar Zalmi | 50 (29) | 19y 346d | 2023 |
| Maaz Sadaqat^ | Peshawar Zalmi | 55 (33) | 19y 352d | 2025 |
| Will Smeed^ | Quetta Gladiators | 97 (62) | 20y 94d | 2022 |
| Will Smeed | Quetta Gladiators | 99 (60) | 20y 112d | 2022 |
| Haider Ali | Peshawar Zalmi | 50 (29) | 20y 147d | 2021 |
| Saim Ayub | Peshawar Zalmi | 53 (37) | 20y 269d | 2023 |
| Saim Ayub | Peshawar Zalmi | 51 (34) | 20y 278d | 2023 |
| Saim Ayub | Peshawar Zalmi | 68 (36) | 20y 287d | 2023 |
Image credit: X / @PeshawarZalmi
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
