In a nail-biting finish, Quetta Gladiators emerged victorious by 16 runs, dominating the last phase of the match and making the chase challenging for Peshawar Zalmi.
In a thrilling encounter between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar won the toss and elected to bowl first. The match witnessed a splendid opening partnership as Saud Shakeel effortlessly adapted to the opening role, contributing a stylish 74 runs alongside the aggressive Jason Roy. Despite the promising start, Quetta Gladiators failed to capitalize on the platform, as Peshawar Zalmi made a strong comeback in the last five overs. The absence of a specialist spinner in the Peshawar attack was evident, and Aamer Jamal struggled with wayward bowling, contrasting his exceptional performance in the Test series in Australia last year.
Peshawar Zalmi, on the other hand, found themselves in a perplexing situation during the chase. Saim Ayub and Babar Azam set the stage with a commendable partnership, but the middle order couldn’t adapt quickly enough to the changing conditions. The last 10 overs saw a resurgence from Quetta Gladiators, with timely wickets from Abrar Ahmad in the middle phase and Mohammad Amir delivering tight overs. The unnecessary runout of Saim Ayub proved costly for Peshawar, allowing Quetta to sneak back into the game.
