LAHORE   -  Peshawar Zalmi, led by player of the match Saim Ayub and captain Babar Azam, registered a commnading 76-run victory against Quetta Gladiators in the 25th match of the HBL PSL 9 at the crowded Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. 

Facing a formidable target of 197, Quetta Gladiators’ batting lineup crumbled under pres­sure, mustering only 120 runs before being bowled out in 17.5 overs. The Zalmi bowlers show­cased a clinical performance, notably Khurram Shahzad and Saim Ayub, each taking two wickets, while Luke Wood and Mehran Mumtaz also added to the tally with two wickets apiece, effectively stifling the Gladiators’ chase. 

The Gladiators’ innings start­ed with a glimmer of hope as Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel initially put on a promising dis­play. However, their efforts were short-lived as Roy was caught by Haseebullah Khan off Wood’s bowling for 16, and shortly after, Shakeel followed, contributing a quick 24 off 12 balls. 

The middle order failed to sta­bilize, with key players like Rilee Rossouw and Laurie Evans fall­ing for single-digit scores, leav­ing the Gladiators struggling at 76-5. Despite a middle-order effort, Akeal Hosein’s 14 and a late cameo by Mohammad Amir could not salvage the innings, concluding their effort at a dis­appointing 120 all out. 

Earlier in the day, Peshawar Zalmi set the stage with a dy­namic batting display, reaching a formidable total of 196/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Babar Azam was the linchpin of Zalmi’s innings, crafting a brilliant 53 off 30 balls, embel­lished with nine fours and a six. Contributions from Tom Kohler- Cadmore (33 off 19 balls) and a fiery start by Saim Ayub (30 off 12 balls) propelled Zalmi to a competitive total. Rovman Pow­ell’s unbeaten 28 towards the end ensured a challenging tar­get for the Gladiators. 

Akeal Hosein, who claimed the first hat-trick of the PSL 9, emerged as the standout bowl­er for Quetta Gladiators, cap­turing four wickets for 23 runs in a commendable spell that briefly swung the momentum. However, the combined effort of the Zalmibatsmen proved too formidable.