Gladiators Conquer! Can Quetta Finish What They’ve Started?

Quetta Gladiators delivered a complete team performance in the first Qualifier of Pakistan Super League X, comfortably beating Islamabad United by 30 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. With this win, Quetta became the first team to secure a spot in the PSL X final, while Islamabad United now await the winner of the Eliminator between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars for another shot at qualification.

Toss and Playing XI’s

Quetta Gladiators skipper Saud Shakeel won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that paid off on the Lahore surface.

Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (c), Finn Allen, Hasan Nawaz, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Rilee Rossouw, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
Islamabad United: Sahibzada Farhan, Alex Hales, Rassie van der Dussen, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, James Neesham, Muhammad Ghazi Ghouri, Imad Wasim, Ben Dwarshuis, Naseem Shah, Salman Irshad.

Quetta’s Power-Packed Batting Display

Quetta lost their captain Saud Shakeel early, but that didn’t derail their batting momentum. Finn Allen provided a fiery start with a quickfire 41 off 27 balls. Although Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz couldn’t contribute much, the Sri Lankan pair of Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando steadied the innings. Fernando added 32 off 21, while Chandimal played a blistering knock of 48 off 28 balls, including 4 fours and 6 sixes.

Finishing things off in style, Faheem Ashraf smashed 45 off just 23 balls at a strike rate of 196.65, helping Quetta post a mammoth total of 209/6 in 20 overs.

For Islamabad, only Salman Irshad and Ben Dwarshuis made a dent in the wickets column with two each, while Shadab and Imad picked up one each..

United Falter Despite Resistance from Farhan and Agha

Chasing 210, Islamabad suffered an early blow as Alex Hales, the player of the match in the last game against Karachi Kings fell for a duck to Faheem Ashraf. Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen offered hope with a solid 71-run stand. Farhan scored a fluent 52 off 35 balls, while Van der Dussen chipped in with 35. After their dismissals, Salman Agha fought hard with 44 off 26, but received little support from the lower order.

Quetta’s bowlers kept the pressure intact throughout. Usman Tariq starred with figures of 3/32, while Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Wasim Jr claimed two wickets each. Abrar Ahmed also chipped in with one. Islamabad were eventually bowled out for 179 in 19.4 overs, falling short by 30 runs.

Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf

Faheem Ashraf was deservedly named Player of the Match for his exceptional all-round performance. He scored a vital 45 off 23 balls and took 2 key wickets, playing a pivotal role in Quetta’s victory.

With this win, Quetta Gladiators now await their challenger in the final, while Islamabad United will look to bounce back in Qualifier 2.