Peshawar beat Quetta: Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators in the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season on Monday at National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.
With four wickets in hand, Zalmi needed 155 runs to win the match, which they did.
Zalmi had chose to bowl first against Gladiators after winning the toss.
When they batted first, Quetta Gladiators scored 154 runs in 20 overs while losing four wickets. Iftikhar Ahmed of the Quetta Gladiators scored 50 runs off 34 balls without being out while Sarfaraz Ahmed scored 39 runs off 30 balls. Jimmy Neesham claimed one wicket for 28 runs, and Usman Qadir claimed two wickets after allowing 26 runs.
Peshawar Zalmi’s comeback saw them reach the goal in 18.3 overs with the cost of six wickets. Jimmy Neesham and Rovman Powell, two Peshawar Zalmi batters, each scored 38 runs in 23 balls. Mohammad Hasnain took three wickets for 13 runs, and Naseem Shah took one wicket for 19 runs.
Additionally, the team’s exceptional performance was attributed to the outstanding leadership skills of their captain. Zalmi surprised Karachi Kings in their first game but lost to Multan Sultans in their second game.
On the other side, gladiators have won one of the two Twenty20 league games this season. The Sarfaraz-led team lost badly in their initial match against the league leaders Multan Sultans but managed to rally against Karachi Kings.
The team winning the toss will like to bat first, depending on the pitch conditions, to score big runs and put the opponent under pressure, as teams batting first has won two of the last three games.