Rawalpindi, April 12, 2025 – Quetta Gladiators kicked off their HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) X campaign in spectacular style, posting a formidable 216-3 against Peshawar Zalmi at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The blistering batting display, led by captain Saud Shakeel and debutant Finn Allen, set a daunting tone for the tournament.
Choosing to bat, Quetta’s openers unleashed chaos. Allen, the Kiwi dynamo, and Shakeel raced to 67-0 in the powerplay, hammering Zalmi’s bowlers with fearless strokeplay. Allen’s onslaught peaked in the seventh over, smashing 23 runs off spinner Sufiyan Muqeem to notch a 25-ball 53 on his PSL debut. Muqeem, however, had the last laugh, dismissing Allen to break the 88-run stand.
Shakeel anchored the innings, crafting a stylish 59 off 39 balls, his third PSL fifty. He found an able partner in Hasan Nawaz, who contributed a brisk 41. Their 63-run partnership kept Quetta cruising until Shakeel fell to seamer Ali Raza in the 16th over, with the score at 151-2. Nawaz departed soon after, trapped by Alzarri Joseph, leaving Quetta at 158-3.
The late charge came from Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis, who unleashed a barrage of boundaries. Mendis blazed 35 off 14 balls, while Rossouw’s unbeaten 21 off 10 ensured Quetta finished with a flourish. Zalmi’s bowlers, despite wickets from Muqeem, Joseph, and Raza, bled runs, unable to curb the onslaught.
This high-octane clash, the second of PSL X, follows Islamabad United’s eight-wicket rout of Lahore Qalandars. With the tournament running until May 18, Quetta’s explosive start signals their intent to dominate a competition basking in the afterglow of the Champions Trophy.
