Quetta Outclass Peshawar with All-Round Dominance

  Javeria Tahira 

Quetta Gladiators 216/3 (20) | Suad 59(42), Allen 53(25) | Raza 1/31, Sufiyan 1/39

Peshawar Zalmi 136 (15.1) | Saim 50(38), 35(19) | Abrar 4/42, Amir 2/11   

Abrar Ahmed’s brilliant 4-wicket haul, including crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay, left Zalmi unable to recover as Quetta Gladiators cruised to a dominant victory.

Peshawar Zalmi’s chase never took off after their skipper, Babar Azam, was dismissed for a duck by Mohammad Amir in the very first over — a blow they failed to recover from throughout the innings.

It was mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who tightened the screws early, dismantling the top order with a match-defining spell. In the fourth over, he removed both opener Mohammad Haris and the dangerous Tom Kohler-Cadmore, setting the tone for Quetta’s bowling dominance. He finished with figures of 4 for 42, later returning to clean up the tail, including a well-disguised wrong’un to bowl Mohammad Ali.

Zalmi showed brief resistance through a 63-run third-wicket stand between Saim Ayub and Hussain Talat. Talat contributed 35 before falling to spinner Usman Tariq, while Saim reached a composed half-century. However, his dismissal — a simple return catch to Kyle Jamieson — triggered a collapse. Peshawar were eventually bowled out for 134 in just 15.1 overs, never really recovering from the early blows.

Earlier, after being put into bat on a batting-friendly Rawalpindi pitch, Quetta Gladiators made full use of the conditions. 

Captain Saud Shakeel and Tim Allen provided a blazing start, racking up 60 runs in the powerplay. Allen launched a flurry of sixes against left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem in the seventh over before being caught at long-on.

Saud continued to anchor the innings, scoring 59 off 42 balls, which included a remarkable lap shot off Alzarri Joseph. He was well-supported by Rilee Rossouw (21) and Kusal Mendis (35), both of whom chipped in with quick runs to keep the momentum alive. Their combined efforts powered Quetta to a commanding 216 for 3 at the end of 20 overs.

Peshawar’s bowling unit struggled throughout, with Ali Raza, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Alzarri Joseph each picking up a wicket but failing to stem the flow of runs.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Babar Azam’s decision didn’t go as planned, as Quetta dominated from start to finish to seal a comprehensive victory.