RAWALPINDI: Quetta Gladiators launched their Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Peshawar Zalmi by 80 runs in the second match of the tournament at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Set a daunting target of 217, Peshawar Zalmi crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for just 136 in 15.1 overs.
Mitchell Owen’s explosive 31 off 13 balls, featuring four sixes, was the only notable resistance in what was otherwise a dismal batting effort from Zalmi.
Quetta’s spin sensation Abrar Ahmed led the charge with the ball, picking up 4 wickets for 42 runs.
Pace duo Kyle Jamieson and Mohammad Amir provided vital support, each claiming key scalps to wrap up a comprehensive win.
Peshawar Zalmi’s collapse started early when captain Babar Azam fell for a duck in the opening over, gifting his wicket to Mohammad Amir with a soft dismissal.
Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub stitched a brief stand to keep the scoreboard ticking, but their resistance was short-lived.
Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed turned the game in Quetta’s favour in the fourth over, dismissing Haris for 13 and then removing Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a duck in the same over, leaving Zalmi struggling at 30-3.
Saim Ayub and Hussain Talat steadied the innings with a 60-run partnership, but Usman Tariq broke through by removing Talat for 35 off 19 balls.
Usman then struck again on the last ball of the 11th over, dismissing Max Bryant for a duck as Zalmi slipped to 93-5.
Despite Saim Ayub’s valiant effort, which included his eighth PSL half-century, Quetta kept applying pressure. Kyle Jamieson dismissed Ayub to trigger another collapse. Zalmi were reduced to 103-6 by the end of the 12th over.
A direct hit from Sean Abbott ended Alzarri Joseph’s innings on the final ball of the next over. Abrar Ahmed returned to clean up the lower order, dismissing Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Ali — both without scoring — to complete his four-wicket haul.
Mohammad Amir wrapped up the innings by removing Mitchell Owen, who provided a brief cameo, to bowl out Peshawar for 132 in just 13.3 overs.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Quetta Gladiators posted a mammoth total of 216 for 3, thanks to commanding half-centuries from captain Saud Shakeel and New Zealand’s Finn Allen.
The opening pair got the team off to a flying start, racing to 67 without loss in the powerplay.
Allen was particularly ruthless in the seventh over, smashing Sufiyan Muqeem for 23 runs to bring up his maiden PSL fifty on debut.
However, Muqeem had the final say in the over, dismissing Allen for a quickfire 53 off 25 balls to break the 88-run stand.
Saud Shakeel carried on the momentum, reaching his third PSL half-century from just 35 deliveries.
He was well supported by Hasan Nawaz, who contributed 41 runs during a 63-run stand for the second wicket.
Shakeel eventually fell for a composed 59 to young pacer Ali Raza, while Nawaz was removed by Alzarri Joseph soon after, leaving Quetta at 158/3.
Abrar cleans him up!#HBLPSLX l #ApnaXHai l #PZvQG pic.twitter.com/3QwdUznsl1
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) April 12, 2025
Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis capitalised on the strong platform, finishing the innings with a blistering 58-run partnership in the final overs.
Mendis struck 35 off 14 balls, while Rossouw remained unbeaten on 21 from just 10 deliveries.
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Zalmi’s bowling unit, featuring the likes of Alzarri Joseph, Ali Raza and Sufiyan Muqeem, failed to stem the flow of runs, with each bowler managing just one wicket apiece and struggling to contain the explosive Quetta batting line-up.
