Faheem Ashraf lit up the Gaddafi Stadium with a jaw-dropping five-wicket haul, leading the Quetta Gladiators to a commanding 64-run triumph over Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday night in the HBL PSL X.
In a night where pace ruled supreme, Faheem needed just 20 balls to dismantle the Zalmi batting order, ending with stunning figures of 5 for 33 — his second career T20 five-for. His heroics not only earned him the Player of the Match award but also pushed Quetta to third place on the points table with three wins in five games.
Quetta’s Pace Machine Cranks Up
Choosing to bowl first, Peshawar Zalmi must have thought they had a plan. Instead, they ran into a brick wall of pace. Quetta’s bowlers combined for a devastating 9-81 in just 12.2 overs, making sure Zalmi never got close to the 179-run target.
Faheem started the destruction early, knocking over Saim Ayub in the second over. His eighth-over double-strike — removing Mohammad Haris and Abdul Samad — crushed Zalmi’s middle order, leaving them reeling at 50-5.
Adding to Zalmi’s nightmare, Mohammad Amir trapped Babar Azam — the Zalmi skipper and their batting hope — leg-before for just 12 runs. Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Khurram Shahzad cleaned up the rest, as wickets kept tumbling like dominoes.
Lone Resistance from Hussain Talat
Hussain Talat fought a lone battle, striking a fighting 39 off 34 balls, peppered with two sixes and four boundaries. But with no other Zalmi batter even crossing 20 runs, it was a mission impossible.
Zalmi were eventually bundled out for a paltry 114 in just 15.2 overs — a collapse that spoke volumes of Quetta’s bowling brilliance.
Batters Set the Platform for Glory
Earlier, Quetta’s top order set the tone with a string of solid performances.
Openers Saud Shakeel (32) and Finn Allen (31) tore into Zalmi’s bowlers in a 46-run opening stand. Rilee Rossouw chipped in with a punchy 27 off 18 balls, while Kusal Mendis (32) and Mark Chapman (33) steadied the innings in the middle overs.
Despite losing a few quick wickets towards the end, Quetta added 34 crucial runs in the final three overs to post a competitive 178-7.
For Zalmi, Alzarri Joseph was the standout bowler, picking up 3 wickets for 33 runs, while Saim Ayub contributed with a handy 2-24 spell.
What’s Next?
This defeat leaves Peshawar Zalmi languishing at fifth place with just two wins from six games, as they face a tough road ahead if they hope to stay in playoff contention.
Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators are riding a wave of momentum — and with Faheem Ashraf leading the charge, they suddenly look like real title contenders.
Summary
Quetta Gladiators 178-7 (Mark Chapman 33, Saud Shakeel 32, Kusal Mendis 32, Finn Allen 31, Rilee Rossouw 27; Alzarri Joseph 3-33, Saim Ayub 2-24)
Peshawar Zalmi 114 all out (Hussain Talat 39; Faheem Ashraf 5-33, Khurram Shahzad 2-9)
Player of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (Quetta Gladiators)
