Peshawar Zalmi stretched their winning run in the PSL with an eight-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday, April 15. Chasing 155, Zalmi kept things calm and efficient to reach 156 for two in 18.3 overs, with Babar Azam anchoring the response. The key theme across the match was control: Gladiators never built partnerships big enough to threaten a late surge.
Quick facts
- Match: Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi (Wednesday, April 15)
- Result: Zalmi won by 8 wickets
- Gladiators innings: 154 all out (in 20 overs)
- Zalmi chase: 156/2 (in 18.3 overs)
- Top wicket-taker early in the tournament: Sufiyan Muqeem (also Player of the Match)
- Notable batting: Babar Azam 71; Mohammad Haris 35
- Gladiators’ top score: Hasan Nawaz 37
Zalmi’s bowling put Gladiators under pressure from the opening phase, especially once the first wicket fell. Iftikhar Ahmed struck early by dismissing Ahsan Ali on the third ball of the innings, with the catch taken in the deep. From there, even moments of fluency failed to turn into sustained momentum, and no stand between batters grew beyond 35 runs.
Rilee Rossouw and Saud Shakeel looked capable of stabilising the innings briefly, but their progress was disrupted by a run-out. Shakeel was sent back while trying to complete a single that wasn’t on, and the captain’s dismissal came in the fifth over. Rossouw stayed in for a while longer, yet the turning point arrived when Muqeem was introduced and struck in his first over.
Muqeem slowed the innings further by removing Rossouw, and pressure only increased after that. Ali Raza joined the wicket-taking effort as well, while Mohammad Basit accounted for Hasan Nawaz—Gladiators’ leading scorer—caught behind. Gladiators kept searching for boundary options, but they landed only two sixes across the entire innings, leaving them short of the acceleration required for a bigger total.
As the wickets fell in a regular pattern, Gladiators never found the platform to set up a late assault. Basit, making smart use of variations, struck twice in the penultimate over, taking the chase beyond the safe range, with Zalmi needing just a measured finish after edging past 150.
Shakeel’s reflection
After the defeat, captain Saud Shakeel pointed to the pitch behaving like a “175-180” surface. He also expressed regret that the middle overs lacked clarity, saying, “We lose so many wickets that we ourselves are not able to decide how to play in that phase.” The comment summed up the innings: Gladiators couldn’t decide on a consistent plan once the tempo shifted.
Zalmi began their chase with steady batting, as Babar Azam played his trademark driving and flicking shots. Mohammad Haris looked to add more height to his strokeplay, and early intent helped the chase move along smoothly. However, the attempt to bring Abrar Ahmed into action during the Powerplay didn’t quite achieve the desired impact, and Zalmi raced to 59 without loss after six overs.
The first wicket came when Haris edged into the outfield and was caught at the boundary. The catch was taken by Shamyl, who had to juggle the ball after initially parrying it back into play. After that, Usman Tariq produced a tight spell in the middle overs, supported by Shakeel, though the run-rate remained under control for Zalmi—no sudden surge from Gladiators ever forced panic.
Babar continued calmly, finding gaps and rotating strike without feeling the need to take unnecessary risks. In the process, he also lost Kusal Mendis along the way, but Babar kept going and reached his fifty off 37 balls. His innings featured 10 fours and no sixes, and the chase was completed with nine balls to spare when he flicked Jahandad Khan.
With that knock, Babar registered a century of fifties in T20 cricket. Muqeem received Player of the Match honours for a second straight game, reinforcing the impact he has had with the ball so far in the competition.
At the moment, Mendis and Babar lead the run charts for Zalmi, and Babar has now crossed 300 runs in a season for the third time. Zalmi’s momentum is strong: they have won six of seven matches, including a washout, and look well positioned for a place in the playoffs.
For Gladiators, the tournament standing remains tough. They are currently fifth, having managed just two wins from four defeats.
Brief scores: Quetta Gladiators 154 all out in 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 37, Rilee Rossouw 26; Sufiyan Muqeem 3-25, Mohammad Basit 3-36) lost to Peshawar Zalmi 156/2 in 18.3 overs (Babar Azam 71, Mohammad Haris 35; Saud Shakeel 1-23, Alzarri Joseph 1-32).
