Watch: PSL CEO performs ‘Nazar Na Lag Jaye’ ritual for Babar Azam after Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi match
Published - 16 Apr 2026, 12:17 PM | Updated - 16 Apr 2026, 01:33 PM
Babar Azam played a match-winning knock for the Peshawar Zalmi last night against the Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium Karachi. Riding high on Babar’s unbeaten 71-run knock, Zalmi registered their sixth win in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season to continue the unbeaten streak.
After the match, PSL CEO Salman Naseer was captured, doing the traditional gesture to ward off the 'evil eye' for Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam. The moment did not take too much time to attract the attention of the cricket fans across social media platforms.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer did the ward off the evil eye ritual for Babar Azam
Babar Azam remains a superstar in Pakistan. No matter what his form is, Pakistan cricket fans are always eager to see the batter in action. In recent times, the top-order batter has had to endure a lot of criticism because of his batting style in the Twenty20 format.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer warded off the evil eye from Babar Azam. 💛
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman1_) April 15, 2026
- A funny interaction after the match. 😄 pic.twitter.com/gSOqj55RTZ
Along with multiple underwhelming knocks, his strike rate in the format becomes one of the topics for discussion. Even in the ongoing PSL 2026 season, Babar had to face questions related to his low strike rate.
Against the Quetta Gladiators, the Peshawar Zalmi captain played the 71-run knock with a strike rate of 139.22. The 51-ball innings was decorated with ten 4s. With 8 wickets in hand and 9 balls to spare, Zalmi claimed the target of 155 with ease.
Azam shut down the critics who pointed out the batter's strike rate
Despite the criticisms, Babar Azam continues to dominate among the international stars in PSL history, reaching several major milestones in this year’s edition. In the 11th edition of PSL, the top opener has enrolled his name in the history of the league by securing 4,000 runs and becoming the fastest player to reach 12,000 runs in T20 cricket.
Ahead of the match against the Quetta Gladiators, in a press conference, Azam had to explain his batting style in the shortest format of the game, where most of the batters try to perform with an elusive strike rate.
The 31-year-old explained that his batting style and strike depend on the situation of the match. His priority as a batter is to assess the situation, instead of displaying a pure attacking approach instantly.
The batter explained his batting style in T20s
“You have to play differently at different numbers. At that time, what kind of guard to play, you also have to look at the scoreboard, and the strike rate also creates a lot of fuss. I believe that you first have to assess the conditions,” Babar Azam told the media.
“You have to assess that every day the wicket is not the same. Every day you cannot play the same way. You will face challenges; the opposition team also comes having done their homework, and you cannot hit your preferred shots freely. On one good day, things will click; otherwise, you have to work hard for it,” the Peshawar Zalmi skipper further stated.
After defeating the Quetta Gladiators, Zalmi remains at the top of the points table after playing 7 matches. With 6 wins and one washed-out match, Zalmi has 13 points and a net run rate of +2.404.
Read More: PSL 2026 turns into a laughing stock as Babar Azam’s Peshawar Zalmi stage a comedic fielding blooper
About the Author
