Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam suffered an injury during the match against Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. On Saturday, April 11, at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, fast bowler Ubaid Shah bowled a sharp bouncer which directly hit the former Pakistan captain’s helmet.
Lahore Qalandars won the toss and decided to bowl first against Peshawar Zalmi. Defending champions Lahore Qalandars recently welcomed opener Fakhar Zaman back into their squad after a two-match ban. Peshawar is the only unbeaten team during the current Pakistan Super League.
Watch: Ubaid Shah’s bouncer hits Babar Azam’s helmet in PSL 2026
This incident happened on the first ball of the sixth over. Ubaid Shah A small ball thrown at a speed of 125.7 km/h Babar Azam Took out while attempting an aggressive pull shot.
The right-handed batsman missed the ball completely. It hit his shoulder before hitting his neck and the lower grill of the helmet. The team physiotherapist immediately reached the field to assess Azam. The captain underwent a concussion test and then he started batting.
Ubaid Shah gave a lethal bouncer to Babar Azam.pic.twitter.com/tYWxos7fJF
– PCT Replays 2.0 (@ReplaysPCT) 11 April 2026
Babar Azam and Kusal Mendis lead recovery after initial setbacks
Mohammad Haris once again got out early, which put pressure on the batting team. Babar and Kusal Mendis then rebuilt the innings on a surface that provided more assistance to the bowlers than in recent games. Mendis attacked from the start, while Babar focused on consistent accumulation.
The pair made a valuable partnership of 109 runs for the second wicket. Babar Azam scored 43 runs, taking control of the innings and rotating the strike effectively. The stand ended when Usama Mir bowled a tossed googly, giving Babar an opportunity to play a mistimed shot which was caught by Abdullah Shafiq at long-on.
This partnership is one of the biggest partnerships for Peshawar Zalmi against Lahore Qalandars in PSL. The top stand is 136 between Babar and Saim Ayub in 2024, followed by 116 between Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik in 2020.
I think the conditions are a little different – Babar Azam
Peshwar Zalmi captain said that the team’s preparation remained unchanged. He mentioned that the team used the break to train in the sun, which helped them adapt to the day’s conditions. Babar said that despite the pitch being the same as in the previous matches, the conditions seemed a little different.
Babar said, “(Preparation for the one-day game) the preparation is the same. The break we got earlier, we practiced a lot in the sun.”
“I think the conditions are a little different, although the pitch is the same one we played on a few nights ago. Hopefully we’ll play well.”
“(On their strong spin attack) the spinners are always dominant here. Iftikhar’s experience with the ball helps. We have got a combination which is helping us a lot in these conditions.”
Peshawar Zalmi is at second place in the points table. They have three wins from four matches along with one canceled game. Lahore Qalandars are in sixth place after winning two out of their four matches.
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