On Sunday, a revamped Quetta Gladiators marked their return to the Pakistan Super League with a triumphant 16-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi. Opening batsmen Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel set the stage with a formidable 157-run partnership, guiding Quetta to a total of 206-5. Roy contributed a brisk 75 off 48 balls, while Shakeel, in his first PSL opportunity after 33 games, played an impressive innings of 74 off 47 deliveries.
In response, Peshawar Zalmi‘s Babar Azam (68) and Saim Ayub (42) provided a strong start with a 90-run partnership off 51 balls. However, their chase faltered in the latter part of the innings, and they finished at 190-6.
Quetta Gladiators’ strategic changes for the season, including appointing Rilee Rossouw as the new captain, proved effective. The decision to replace long-time skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led the team for four consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs, seemed to pay off as they secured a winning start to the PSL.