KARACHI: 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi thrashed arch-rivals Quetta Gladiators by 118 runs in match 29 of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Batting first, the leaders piled up 255/3 in 20 overs thanks to an unbeaten century from their skipper Babar Azam, who scored an unbeaten 100 off 52 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes.
He scored 83 runs off 44 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Alzari Joseph, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed took one wicket each for Gladiators.
Chasing a tough target of 256 runs, the previous edition’s runners-up could muster 137 runs before being bowled out in 18.1 overs.
Middle-order batsman Bevon Jacobs remained the top scorer for the 2019 champions with 34 off 27 balls, while Shamil Hussain (21), Alzari Joseph, Dinesh Chandimal (19 each, and skipper Saud Shakeel (12) were in double figures.
Pacers Ali Raza and Mohammad Basid sparked Zalmi’s relentless bowling with three wickets each, followed by Aaron Hardy with two wickets and Subian Muqeem and Michael Bracewell with one each.
The 118-run win, which marked Zalmi’s sixth in a row and seventh overall in the ongoing PSL 11, confirmed their position at the top of the points table with 15 points from eight matches, while securing a top-two finish for the 2017 champions, who failed to qualify for the first time in the previous edition.
| Teams | Competitions | succeeds | Losses | No results | points | Net flow rate |
| Peshawar Salmi | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 2.911 |
| Sultans of Multan | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0.529 |
| Islamabad United | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1.481 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -0.341 |
| Hyderabad Kingsmen | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -0.470 |
| Lahore Colleagues | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -0.634 |
| Kings of Karachi | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -1.368 |
| Rawalpindi’s | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.796 |
Zalmi are followed by Multan Sultans with 10 points from seven matches, while three-time champions Islamabad United are third with nine points after as many games.
On the other hand, Gladiators suffered their fifth defeat in eight games but are fourth in the table with six points thanks to a higher net run rate than Hyderabad Kingsmen, Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings.
Meanwhile, debutants Rawalpindis remain at the bottom after losing all seven PSL 11 matches they have played so far and are already out of the playoffs.