Quetta Gladiators Outclass Rawalpindiz with All-Round Brilliance

KARACHI: A composed half-century from Rilee Rossouw, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, guided Quetta Gladiators to a convincing 61-run win over Rawalpindiz in the 18th fixture of PSL 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.

Chasing a challenging 183-run target, Rawalpindiz never found momentum and were eventually bowled out for 121 in 17.3 overs.

Young all-rounder Saad Masood showed some resistance with a quick 31 off 19 balls, while Daryl Mitchell added a steady 30 from 32 deliveries. Yasir Khan (22) and Abdullah Fazal (20) were the only other batters to reach double figures as the rest of the lineup struggled.

Quetta’s bowling effort was shared collectively, with Usman Tariq, Jahandad Khan, and skipper Saud Shakeel picking up two wickets each. Kashif Bhatti and Abrar Ahmed also chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, Quetta Gladiators posted a strong 182/6 in their 20 overs. Their innings didn’t start smoothly, losing Sam Harper early with just 22 runs on the board.

Rossouw then partnered with Saud Shakeel to rebuild the innings, stitching together a crucial 87-run stand for the second wicket. Rossouw led the charge with a fluent 53 off 42 balls, hitting six fours and a six before being dismissed by Mubasir Khan.

Saud Shakeel followed soon after, contributing a steady 42 off 39 deliveries.

Mohammad Amir struck twice in quick succession to slow Quetta’s progress, removing Khawaja Nafay and Bevon Jacobs as the score slipped to 156/6.

However, Hasan Nawaz provided a late surge with an explosive 39 off just 16 balls, smashing five sixes. He was well supported by Jahandad Khan, who finished unbeaten on 21 from only six deliveries, adding crucial runs in the final overs.

For Rawalpindiz, Ben Sears was the standout bowler with figures of 3/41, while Amir claimed two wickets and Mubasir Khan picked up one.