Saim Ayub lights up CPL 2023 with blazing batting

Pakistan left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub displayed his exceptional batting skills in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Royals in Trinidad on Sunday.

Opting to bat first, Saim Ayub took the crease as an opener but faced a challenging situation when his partner, Gudakesh Motie, was dismissed after contributing seven runs. However, the 21-year-old didn't give up and showed remarkable composure, and forged an excellent 98-run partnership with Shai Hope.

Ayub played an electrifying innings, scoring 58 runs from just 35 balls. His remarkable knock comprised seven boundaries, including six powerful sixes. The left-handed batter showed his skills with shots all around the ground, reaffirming his status as one of the most stylish batters.

Saim Ayub doing the business at the start of the innings 😳#CPL23 #BRvGAW #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport pic.twitter.com/qko8A7WlUu

— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 10, 2023

Shai Hope also played a composed innings, adding 50 runs from 40 deliveries, assisting his team in posting a competitive total of 181 runs while batting first.

Although both Hope and Ayub were the top-scorers for their team, it was the Pakistan cricketer who earned the Player of the Match for his exceptional performance.

The Barbados Royals fell short in their chase of the 182-run target, managing to score only 178 runs within the allotted overs. Laurie Evans was the highest run-scorer for the Royals, contributing 44 runs from 27 balls. Rovman Powell also played a destructive innings, compiling 39 runs from just 19 balls, including six boundaries, but his valiant effort was not sufficient to secure victory for his team.