PSL 10: Abrar stars as Gladiators defeat Peshawar Zalmi

Quetta Gladiators secured a dominant 80-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the second match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10. The match, held at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, saw a remarkable performance by Quetta’s spinner, Abrar Ahmed, who took four wickets to help bowl Peshawar out for just 136 runs.

Chasing a challenging target of 217, Peshawar struggled throughout their innings. Despite a strong half-century from Saim Ayub, who top-scored with 50, the rest of the batting lineup crumbled under pressure. The collapse began early when Peshawar captain Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck in the opening over, bowled by Mohammad Amir.

Abrar Ahmed played a key role in turning the match in Quetta’s favor. In the fourth over, he dismissed Mohammad Haris for 13 and then removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a duck, leaving Peshawar at 30-3. Saim Ayub and Hussain Talat attempted to rebuild the innings with a 60-run partnership, but Usman Tariq’s breakthrough dismissed Talat for 35, and Peshawar’s batting collapsed further.

Despite Ayub’s valiant 50, Quetta’s bowlers kept applying pressure. Kyle Jamieson dismissed Ayub, and a direct hit from Sean Abbott ended Alzarri Joseph’s innings. Abrar Ahmed then wrapped up the lower order, taking two more quick wickets to complete his four-wicket haul. Mohammad Amir sealed the win by dismissing Mitchell Owen, bowling Peshawar out for just 132 runs in 13.3 overs.

Earlier, Quetta Gladiators posted a massive total of 216/5 after being asked to bat first. Openers Finn Allen and captain Saud Shakeel gave Quetta a solid start, adding 67 runs in the powerplay. Allen’s aggressive 53 off 25 balls was the highlight, and Shakeel anchored the innings with 59 runs. Hasan Nawaz contributed 41 runs, and the finishing touches were provided by Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis, who added 58 runs in the final overs.

Peshawar Zalmi’s bowlers struggled to contain the batting attack, and despite picking up wickets, they were unable to prevent Quetta from posting a huge total.

Playing XIs:

Quetta Gladiators: Finn Allen, Hasan Nawaz, Kusal Mendis (wk), Saud Shakeel (cap), Rilee Rossouw, Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf, Kyle Jamieson, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Usman Tariq.
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (cap), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Max Bryant, Mitchell Owen, Hussain Talat, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammad Ali, Sufiyan Muqeem, Ali Raza.