RAWALPINDI: It turned out to be a perfect start to the 10th edition of Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators who exhibited a magnificent all-round display against Peshawar Zalmi here on Saturday.

Babar Azam’s decision to field first under bright sunshine backfired as the Saud Shakeel-inspired Gladiators took charge smashing 216-3 off the stipulated overs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The only positive sign for Zalmi in the game was Saim Ayub’s prolific return to competitive cricket — striking a 38-ball 50 — after recovering from an ankle injury which the left-hander suffered in January during the national team’s tour to South Africa.

Chasing a massive 217, Zalmi kept losing wickets regularly as the asking run-rate increased and eventually suffered a forgettable 80-run defeat.

In a horrible start, Babar was sent back for a duck by fast bowler Mohammad Amir on the second ball of the very first over of the innings as the batter, playing a half-hearted stroke, was caught brilliantly at short extra cover by Rilee Rossouw diving forward.

Zalmi never recovered after this early setback losing two more wickets in the first powerplay.

Looking to play a shot over the bowler’s head, Mohammad Haris (13 off eight balls) was caught and bowled by mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who grabbed the ball after juggling twice in the fourth over.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the next to go — in the same over — as the batter mistimed an inside-out shot and gave a simple catch to Kyle Jamieson at mid-off. Zalmi were now reeling at 30-3 and ended the powerplay at 45-3.

Fighting a lone battle, the 22-year-old Saim struck four sixes and three fours during his knock.

Zalmi got another double jolt in the 11th over.

Hussain Talat (35 off 19) and Saim added 63 runs in 43 balls before the former was caught by Faheem Ashraf at short third man off the bowling of off-spinner Usman Tariq while attempting a reverse sweep. Max Bryant (nought) was caught and bowled by Usman as Zalmi slumped to 93-5.

Zalmi’s slim hopes of a dramatic turnaround were all but over when Saim was caught and bowled by pacer Jamieson in the 12th over. Alzarri Joseph’s run-out on the very first ball he faced made it 103-7.

Still needing 114 runs off 48 balls, it was certainly a mighty ask, almost impossible. Though Mitchell Owen, batting at number seven, did entertain with a 13-ball 31 featuring four sixes and a four, it was too little too late. Abrar took two more wickets — of tailenders Sufiyan Muqeem (one) and Mohammad Ali (nought) — to finish with figures of 4-42.

Owen was the last man out, caught by wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis off Amir in the 16th over.

Abrar (4-42), Amir (2-11 in 2.1 overs) and Usman (2-26) made sure Gladiators keep things under control.

Abrar was adjudged player-of-the-match.

Earlier, openers Saud and Finn Allen gave Gladiators a flying start as they reached the 50-mark in just 4.2 overs and posted 65-0 in the first powerplay.

After reaching his half-century off just 23 balls, Allen was caught by Owen at long-on off Sufiyan. The batter struck five fours and four sixes in his 53.

Saud reached the fifty mark from 35 balls.

The 88-run opening stand in seven overs helped Saud (59) and Hasan Nawaz (41 off 32) consolidate the innings as they added 63 runs off 51 balls before the former was caught at mid-off by Babar off medium-pacer Ali Raza at the total of 151 in the 16th over. Saud’s innings contained six fours and a couple of maximums.

Hasan was caught by Saim in deep cover off paceman Joseph in the next over.

Cameos from Rossouw (21 not out off 10) and Mendis (35 not out off 14) steered Gladiators beyond the 200-mark as they added 58 runs off just 25 balls.

Zalmi bowlers Ali (0-57), Joseph (1-53) and Sufiyan (1-39) remained very expensive.

SCOREBOARD

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Saud Shakeel c Babar b Raza 59

Finn Allen c Owen b Sufiyan 53

Hasan Nawaz c Saim b Joseph 41

Rilee Rossouw not out 21

Kusal Mendis not out 35

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-3, W-2) 7

TOTAL (for three wkts, 20 overs) 216

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-88 (Allen), 2-151 (Saud), 3-158 (Hasan)

DID NOT BAT: Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

BOWLING: Saim 3-0-26-0, Ali 4-0-57-0, Raza 4-0-31-1 (1nb), Joseph 4-0-53-1 (2w, 1nb), Sufiyan 4-0-39-1 (1nb), Hussain 1-0-8-0

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Saim Ayub c & b Jamieson 50

Babar Azam c Rossouw b Amir 0

Mohammad Haris c & b Abrar 13

Tom Kohler-Cadmore c Jamieson b Abrar 0

Hussain Talat c Faheem b Usman 35

Max Bryant c & b Usman 0

Mitchell Owen c Mendis b Amir 31

Alzarri Joseph run out 0

Sufiyan Muqeem lbw b Abrar 1

Mohammad Ali b Abrar 0

Ali Raza not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-3) 6

TOTAL (all out, 15.1 overs) 136

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3 (Babar), 2-30 (Haris), 3-30 (Kohler-Cadmore), 4-93 (Hussain), 5-93 (Bryant), 6-103 (Saim), 7-103 (Joseph), 8-117 (Sufiyan), 9-117 (Ali)

BOWLING: Amir 2.1-0-11-2, Jamieson 3-0-28-1, Abrar 4-0-42-4 (2w), Usman 4-0-26-2 (1w), Shoaib 1-0-19-0, Faheem 1-0-7-0

RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by 80 runs.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Abrar Ahmed

SCOREBOARD

MULTAN SULTANS:

Mohammad Rizwan not out 105

Shai Hope c Seifert b Hasan 8

Usman Khan st Seifert b Khushdil 19

Kamran Ghulam c Irfan b Abbas 36

Michael Bracewell not out 44

EXTRAS: (LB-1, NB-1, W-20) 22

TOTAL: (for three wkts, 20 overs) 234

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Hope), 2-82 (Usman), 3-145 (Kamran)

DID NOT BAT: Iftikhar Ahmed, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Shahid Aziz, Usama Mir, Akif Javed

BOWLING: Milne 4-0-60-0 (3w), Hasan 4-0-44-1 (2w), Fawad 2-0-19-0 (1w, 1nb), Abbas 4-0-53-1 (4w), Khushdil 4-0-33-1 (1w), Arafat 2-0-24-0

KARACHI KINGS:

Tim Seifert c Rizwan b Akif 32

David Warner lbw b Bracewell 12

James Vince run out 101

Shan Masood lbw b Akif 0

Arafat Minhas b Usama 10

Khushdil Shah b Akif 60

Irfan Khan not out 5

Abbas Afridi not out 9

EXTRAS: (LB-1, NB-1, W-5) 7

TOTAL: (for six wkts, 19.2 overs) 236

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-44 (Warner), 2-52 (Seifert), 3-52 (Shan), 4-79 (Arafat), 5-221 (Vince), 6-223 (Khushdil)

DID NOT BAT: Hasan Ali, Adam Milne, Fawad Ali

BOWLING: Willey 2-0-40-0, Akif 4-0-41-3(1w, 1nb), Bracewell 4-0-44-1, Jordan 3.2-0-48-0 (2w), Usama 4-0-30-1, Shahid 2-0-32-0(2w)

RESULT: Karachi Kings won by four wickets

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: James Vince

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2025