Peshawar Zalmi continued their strong form in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with a convincing eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators, powered by a composed unbeaten half-century from captain Babar Azam and a disciplined bowling performance.
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Chasing a target of 155, Zalmi made a confident start as opening pair Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam put together a 75-run partnership. Haris played an aggressive knock of 35 off 28 balls before being dismissed, but his innings had already provided the momentum needed for the chase.
Babar Azam anchored the innings with his usual composure, rotating the strike and finding boundaries at regular intervals. He later formed a crucial 49-run partnership with Kusal Mendis, who contributed 21 runs before falling. Despite the wicket, Zalmi remained firmly in control of the chase.
The skipper remained unbeaten on 71 off 51 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries and guiding his team home with confidence. Aaron Hardie supported him at the end with an unbeaten 18 as Zalmi reached 156/2 in 18.3 overs, sealing the match with nine balls to spare.
Earlier in the match, Zalmi’s decision to bowl first paid off as Quetta Gladiators struggled to build partnerships. They were eventually bowled out for 154 in their allotted 20 overs.
Quetta lost early momentum with the dismissal of Ahsan Ali, while captain Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw attempted to stabilise the innings with brief contributions. Hasan Nawaz top-scored with 37 runs, but regular wickets prevented any significant recovery. A late effort from Tom Curran added some runs, but the total remained below par.
Zalmi’s bowling attack delivered a disciplined performance, with Muqeem and Mohammad Basit picking up three wickets each to restrict Quetta throughout the innings.
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With this win, Peshawar Zalmi registered their sixth victory in seven matches and secured a fifth consecutive win, strengthening their position on the PSL points table and boosting confidence ahead of upcoming fixtures.