KARACHI-Defending champions Quetta Gladiators crashed out of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 despite crushing Karachi Kings by five wickets at National Stadium on Sunday in the 30th and last round-robin fixture of the tournament.
The Gladiators were set a modest 151-run target but their horrendous run rate meant they needed to get to that total in a mere 3.2 overs in order to prise away the last semi-final spot from the tight grip of Peshawar Zalmi. Their almost impossible mission had the worst possible start as their supremely out-of-form batsman Ahmed Shehzad failed yet again, getting out on just his second ball for a duck. But from that point on Shane Watson (66) and Khurram Manzoor (63) took over, forming a 118-run partnership. The duo was dismissed later but the damage they had done was enough to get their side a meaningless victory.
Earlier, a Karachi side that named a very strong batting line-up despite it being a dead rubber, struggled for inspiration and motivation, mustering up a modest 150-5. Sharjeel, the man of the match in the last game, was out for a duck in the first over while his partner Babar Azam was uncharacteristically lethargic in a 34-ball 32. Cameron Delport’s 62 and Chadwick Walton’s 26 helped the port city side stay competitive in a match they did not need to win.
Points Table
TEAM M W L PT NRR
Multan Sultans 10 6 2 14 1.031
Karachi Kings 10 5 4 11 -0.19
Lahore Qalandars 10 5 5 10 -0.072
Peshawar Zalmi 10 4 5 9 -0.055
Quetta Gladiators 10 4 5 9 -0.722
Islamabad United 10 3 6 7 0.185
Scorecard
KARACHI KINGS:
Sharjeel Khan b Naseem Shah.. 0
Babar c Nawaz b Fawad.......... 32
Iftikhar c Watson b Sohail......... 21
C Delport b Mohammad Hasnain 62
C Walton c Hasnain b Naseem 26
Mohammad Rizwan not out....... 0
Usama Mir not out...................... 1
EXTRAS: (lb 5, w 3).................... 8
TOTAL: (5 wkts, 20 overs)...... 150
FOW: 1-0, 2-30, 3-72, 4-145, 5-147.
BOWLING: Naseem Shah 4-0-17-2, Sohail Khan 4-0-38-1, Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-32-0, Fawad Ahmed 4-0-27-1, Mohammad Hasnain 4-0-31-1.
QUETTA GLADIATORS:
Ahmed Shehzad c Rizwan b Waqas 0
S Watson c Babar b Arshad Iqbal 66
Khurram c Usama Mir b Waqas 63
Sarfaraz c Walton b Ali Khan...... 2
Azam Khan not out................... 12
B Cutting c Walton b Arshad Iqbal 0
Mohammad Nawaz not out........ 8
EXTRAS: (lb 1, w 2).................... 3
TOTAL: (5 wkts, 16.2 overs)... 154
FOW: 1-0, 2-118, 3-121, 4-139, 5-139.
BOWLING: Waqas Maqsood 4-0-19-2, Ali Khan 3-0-36-1, Umer Khan 3-0-31-0, Arshad Iqbal 3.2-0-37-2, Usama Mir 3-0-30-0.
TOSS: Karachi Kings
UMPIRES: Michael Gough, Rashid Riaz
TV UMPIRE: Ahsan Raza
MATCH REFEREE: Roshan Mahanama
