Quetta Gladiators Seal Victory Against Peshawar Zalmi

Muhammad Waqas

Quetta Gladiators: 206/5 (20) | J Roy 75(48) | Irshad 3/38 (4)

Peshawar Zalmi: 190/6 (20) | Babar 68(42) | Abrar 2/29 (4)

Peshawar Zalmi missed the chance as they struggled in a straightforward chase.

In chase of 207, Peshawar Zalmi got off to a solid start with Skipper Babar Azam and displaying their prowess with the bat. The aggressive Strokeplay put Quetta Gladiators’ bowling attack under immense pressure. The duo formed a 91-run opening partnership. However, a needless runout of Saim in the 9^th over allowed Quetta Gladiators to claw their way back into the game. Ayub scored 42 runs off 26 balls. Mohammad Haris failed to carry the momentum and was dismissed by Akeal Hosein in the 11^th over.

Despite the setback, Babar and Tom Kohler-Cadmore steadied the ship with a partnership, keeping Zalmi in the hunt. However, Abrar Ahmed made crucial breakthroughs in the 16^th over dismissing Babar and Cadmore, swung the momentum in Quetta’s favor. Mohammad Amir delivered a masterclass in tight bowling, making scoring difficult for Peshawar Zalmi in the death overs.

A 157-run opening stand by Jason Roy and Suad Shakeel 

Earlier, the second encounter of the Pakistan Super League proved to be exciting as Quetta introduced a new captain after 8 years. Adding to the surprise was the unexpected opening pair of Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy when Zalmi opted to bowl. The openers wasted no time in asserting their dominance over the Peshawar bowlers. The duo launched a relentless charge, leaving the opposition scrambling for answers. Roy and Shakeel orchestrated a magnificent 157-run partnership in just 15.2 overs before Luke Wood secured a breakthrough and removed Shakeel after scoring 74 runs off 47 balls. Jason Roy continued to play, smashing 75 runs off 48 deliveries.

Skipper Rilee Rossouw and Sherfane Rutherford provided late fireworks, scoring 14 off 7, and 20 off 13 balls respectively. Despite a slight recovery from Peshawar Zalmi towards the end, Quetta Gladiators concluded their innings at 206/6.

Turning Point:

The 16^th over of the innings by Abrar Ahmed proved a match changing over. Abrar dismissed both Babar Azam and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. This sudden double blow swung the momentum decisively in Quetta Gladiators’ favor.