Quetta Gladiators secured a dominant 61-run victory over Rawalpindiz in the HBL Pakistan Super League at the National Bank Stadium on Friday night, handing their opponents yet another defeat in the tournament.
Batting first, Quetta Gladiators posted 182 for 6 after recovering from an early setback. A crucial 87-run partnership between captain Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw anchored the innings, with Rossouw scoring a fluent 53 and Saud contributing a steady 42. Hasan Nawaz provided a late surge with a rapid 39 off 16 balls, helping push the total to a competitive score.
In response, Rawalpindiz collapsed under pressure and were bowled out for 121 in 17.3 overs. Their chase never gained momentum after early wickets, including the dismissal of captain Mohammad Rizwan for a golden duck. Despite brief resistance from Daryl Mitchell and Saad Masood, the innings fell apart against disciplined bowling from Quetta.
Jahandad Khan and Usman Tariq led the bowling attack with key wickets, while Saud Shakeel also chipped in with a crucial breakthrough.
Quetta Gladiators will take confidence from this comprehensive win, while Rawalpindiz remain winless and under pressure to improve in upcoming matches.