Quetta Bounce Back from Early Jolt to Crush Qalandars
News Desk
Karachi: Quetta Gladiators turned early panic into complete dominance as they stormed to a convincing six-wicket win over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in a dramatic encounter at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a modest 135, the Gladiators were rocked at the start, losing both openers with just 11 runs on the board. What seemed like a tricky chase quickly transformed into a one-sided affair, thanks to a match-winning partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Mohammad Nawaz.
The duo stitched together a brilliant 104-run stand, shifting momentum entirely in Quetta’s favour. Nawaz fell heartbreakingly short of a half-century, scoring 49, but by then the damage had been done.
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Rossouw remained the anchor of the chase, playing a composed and unbeaten knock of 60, guiding his side home in the 17th over with ease. Late cameos, including a quickfire contribution from Bevon Jacobs, sealed the emphatic win with 22 balls to spare.
Earlier, Lahore’s innings never really took off. A series of early blows dismantled their top order, with Fakhar Zaman and others failing to convert starts. Despite some resistance from Haseebullah Khan, who top-scored with 33, the Qalandars struggled to build momentum.
The real architect of Lahore’s collapse was Usman Tariq, whose three-wicket burst broke the backbone of the batting lineup. He was well supported by Jahandad Khan, as Quetta’s bowlers kept the pressure relentless throughout the innings.
A late blitz from Usama Mir briefly lifted Lahore’s total to 134, but it proved far from enough against a resurgent Quetta side.
With this dominant performance, the Gladiators not only avenged earlier setbacks but also sent a strong message to the rest of the league—after an early scare, they have the firepower to take control and finish in style.
