News by “Sports Reporter”
KARACHI: Mohammad Wasim Jr hammered a six off the last ball to propel Quetta Gladiators into the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 playoffs with a nail-biting six-wicket win against Lahore Qalandars here on Sunday.
The electrifying victory catapulted Quetta Gladiators into their first PSL playoffs since clinching the title in 2019.
They joined Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Islamabad United in the final four, while the Qualifier and Eliminator matches will be determined after the conclusion of the group stage fixtures.
In pursuit of 167 runs on a challenging surface at the National Bank Cricket Arena, the Gladiators faced a tough battle to secure the crucial victory.
The 2019 champions needed 14 runs off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s last over with Saud Shakeel and Laurie Evans at the crease.
However, the over began unfavorably for the Gladiators as Evans departed on the first delivery, caught sharply in the deep by Tahir Baig.
Saud then struck consecutive boundaries off Shaheen’s third and fourth deliveries but managed only a single on the penultimate ball, leaving four runs needed from the final delivery.
Showing remarkable composure, Mohammad Wasim Jr smashed a six on the last ball to seal the win for his team.
In the earlier stages, Jason Roy provided a flying start to the Gladiators’ chase with three consecutive boundaries off Shaheen.
Despite Qalandars’ efforts to stem the run flow, the Gladiators managed to build partnerships, with Khawaja Nafay and Saud Shakeel anchoring the innings.
Saud Shakeel played a stellar innings, remaining unbeaten on 88 runs, guiding his team to victory.
Opting to bat first, Lahore Qalandars set a challenging target for Quetta Gladiators in their crucial PSL 9 encounter.
After a cautious start, opener Sahibzada Farhan and Tahir Baig fell to Abrar Ahmed in the sixth over.
Abdullah Shafique and Shai Hope attempted to steady the innings, but it was Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abdullah Shafique’s partnership that propelled Lahore Qalandars to a competitive total.
Despite Shaheen’s quickfire knock, Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers managed to restrict Qalandars’ total to 166.
Notably, Lahore Qalandars are already out of the playoffs race, while Quetta Gladiators need one more win from their remaining matches to secure their place in the final four.
With nine points in eight matches, Quetta Gladiators currently sit fourth in the PSL 9 standings, while Lahore Qalandars occupy the bottom spot with three points in nine matches.
