Saim Ayub Turns R Ashwin, Shines With The Ball To Grab 5-Wicket Haul In Champions Cup

Anurag Dasgupta∙ Updated: Sep 24 2024, 9:12 PM | 2 Min Read

Saim Ayub bagged a 5-wicket haul [screengrab]

Saim Ayub, known for his exploits with the bat, turned Ravichandran Ashwin in the ongoing Champions Cup match and bagged a 5-wicket haul to rattle the Mohammad Rizwan led Markhors in Faisalabad.

While Mohammad Hasnain was the chief destroyer at the top, it was Saim Ayub who showcased his magic in the middle-overs to bundle out Markhors for 137. Markhors were the best team in the tournament coming into this contest, and their batters were ripped apart by Hasnain, who grabbed 3 early wickets, which also included the big scalp of Mohammad Rizwan.

Saim Ayub's Ashwin style off-break bowling pushes Markhors on verge of defeat

Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman had a brief partnership and resisted the challenge from the opposition bowlers, but Iftikhar's run-out changed the complexion of the game. Once the partnership was broken, Saim ran through the middle and lower order with his brilliant off-spin, just like the master of spin bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin.

He picked up the scalps of Muhammad Samad, Agha Salman, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood and Shahnawaz Dahani as Panthers found an unlikely bowling hero in him. The talented batter ended with figures of 5 for 24 in 6 overs.

Saim Ayub gaining confidence through Champions Cup matches

A promising young talent, Saim Ayub hasn't justified his talent at the international level, as of yet. In 23 T20Is, he has only racked up 309 runs, at an average of 14.71, but the numbers slightly increase in Tests, where he has slammed 168 runs in 3 matches, at an average of 28.00.

So far, he has performed exceedingly well in the Champions Cup tournament and will be looking to take the same confidence in the upcoming international assignments. In the tournament he has been amongst the wickets and amongst the run-scorers for his team.

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