LAHORE: The Quetta Gladiators on Sunday emerged victorious in a high-scoring contest against Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 tournament at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Led by a stellar batting performance from Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy, the Gladiators posted an imposing total of 206 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Shakeel’s aggressive knock of 74 runs off 47 balls, accompanied by Roy’s clinical 75 runs from 48 deliveries, laid the foundation for Quetta’s formidable total. Captain Rilee Rossouw also chipped in with a quickfire cameo to propel the Gladiators past the 200-run mark.
In pursuit of the challenging target, Peshawar Zalmi got off to a flying start, with opener Saim Ayub and skipper Babar Azam forming a promising partnership. However, a crucial run-out and subsequent wickets halted Zalmi’s momentum, despite Azam’s valiant effort of scoring 68 runs.
Despite a spirited fightback, Zalmi fell short of the target by 16 runs, finishing their innings at 190 for six wickets. Quetta’s bowlers put in a commendable performance in the death overs, restricting Zalmi’s scoring rate and securing a thrilling victory for their team.
Salman Irshad stood out for Zalmi with figures of 3-38, while other bowlers like Chris Wood and Mohammad Zeeshan also made valuable contributions with one wicket each.
