Quetta Gladiators clinch maiden Pakistan Super League title by beating Peshawar Zalmi

Quetta Gladiators were boosted by Ahmed Shehzad’s fifty and a brilliant haul of 3/30 by Mohammad Hasnain helped them beat Peshawar Zalmi by eight wickets to win their maiden Pakistan Super League final in Karachi on Sunday. Hasnain, who will turn 19 and is one week away from making his debut against Australia in the upcoming five-match ODI series, has impressed everyone with his pace. The left-armer has clocked over 150 kmph consistently in the Pakistan Super League and he once again impressed in the final, taking some crucial wickets to ensure that Peshawar Zalmi, the 2017 Pakistan Super League champions, did not get momentum in the final.

Quetta Gladiators chose to field and Hasnain delivered the first blow, getting rid of Imam-ul-Haq cheaply for 3. Dwayne Bravo and Mohammad Nawaz took the key wickets of Sohaib Maqsood (20) and Kamran Akmal (21) as Peshawar Zalmi never got going. Umar Amin looked in good touch and he looked to get Peshawar Zalmi to a good total but once Hasnain sent back Amin for 38, Quetta Gladiators were truly on top. Darren Sammy and Wahab Riaz struck some lusty blows to help them reach 138/8. Apart from Hasnain’s three wickets, Bravo ended with wonderful figures of 2/24 while Fawad Ahmed took 1/22.

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In response, Quetta Gladiators lost Shane Watson cheaply for 7 as he was run-out by Umar Amin. However, Ahmed Shehzad and Ahsan Ali steadied the ship and boosted the Gladiators with a solid stand. When Wahab Riaz got rid of Ahsan Ali for 25, the game was still in the balance but Rillee Roussouw ensured that Quetta Gladiators did not suffer any more jolts.

Shehzad blasted a brilliant fifty while Roussouw struck five boundaries in his aggressive 39 off 25 balls as Quetta Gladiators won the match in just 17.5 overs. Hasnain won the Man of the Match award while Watson was the player of the series for their exploits. After winning the Man of the Match, Hasnain said, “I want to dedicate this award to my father and mother. I have always been a fast bowler, hope to bowl even faster. I learnt from the big players here, learnt a lot sharing the dressing room with them.” For Bravo, the Pakistan Super League was the one title that was missing from his resume and he has added this title to his already glittering Twenty20 career.

Bravo remarked, “This is my 4th title after releasing a song. We won the IPL with CSK, the song for TKR in the CPL, and then this year, I thought this was "our time", which was also the name of the song. And yes, it was "our time".”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Quetta Gladiators won the Pakistan Super League for the first time.
• Peshawar Zalmi won the 2017 edition of the Pakistan Super League.
• Ahmed Shehzad scored a fifty in the final.