HBL PSL 9: Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi by 16 runs

Lahore: Quetta Gladiators on Sunday defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 16 runs in the second thrilling match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9.

Quetta Gladiators failed to chase 207-run target set by Peshawar Zalmi, as it could score only 190 runs for six. Babar Azam scored 68 runs and tried his best to put his side on the track but continuous fall of the wickets caused pressure while chasing the target.

Jason Roy scored 75 runs off 48 while Saud Shakeel made 74 runs off 47 runs and pushed their side to a strong position against Peshawar Zalmi.  Peshawar Zalami made 206 runs against the loss of five wickets.

For Peshawar Zalmi, Salman Irshad showed amazing performance as he took three wickets for 38 runs in four overs. Luke Wood and Muhammad Zeeshan could get one wicket each. 

The Roy and Saud show leads Quetta Gladiators to 2️⃣0️⃣6️⃣-5️⃣ 🏏

An innings of possibilities awaits in the Zalmi chase 🔜#HBLPSL9 | #KhulKeKhel | #QGvPZ pic.twitter.com/9NuQo0HYrR

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 18, 2024

This is the second match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 which is being played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. 

Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to bowl first against Quettal Gladiators. 

The inaugural ceremony of Pakistan Super League 9 dazzled the audience at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium with performances by artists like Ali Zafar, Arif Lohar, and Aima Baig, along with a breathtaking fireworks display and laser show. Pakistan Super League 9 features 34 matches among six teams, including 7 double-headers. The tournament will culminate with the final match on March 18th in Karachi.

In the first match of PSL 9, Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, suffered defeat against Islamabad United. Islamabad United's Captain Shadab Khan won the toss and opted to bowl first, inviting Lahore Qalandars to bat.

Lahore's openers Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan provided a strong start, scoring 67 runs in 6.3 overs. Sahibzada Farhan completed a half-century and, along with van der Dussen, took the total to 89 runs. Following notable contributions from Abdullah Shafique and David Wiese, Lahore Qalandars set a target of 196 runs for Islamabad United.

In response, Islamabad United achieved the target, scoring 196 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the 19th over. Captain Shadab Khan scored an unbeaten 74 runs off 41 balls, including 5 sixes and 6 fours. Agha Salman remained not out with 64 runs off 31 balls, hitting 3 sixes and 7 fours. Additionally, Alex Hales scored 36 runs, and Colin Munro contributed 5 runs.