Quetta Gladiators locked horns with Peshawar Zalmi in match no. 9 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 at National Stadium in Karachi and won the contest by four wickets.
Asked to bat first, Quetta put up a fighting total of 157/6 in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of Iftikhar Ahmed’s brilliant half-century. Iftikhar played a magnificent 50-run knock comprising four sixes and two fours. Sarfaraz Ahmed also contributed valuable 39 runs to the team’s total. Meanwhile, Usman Qadir scalped two wickets for the Peshawar, with James Neesham and Arshad Iqbal also picking up a scalp each.
In reply, Peshawar got off to a great start and chased the set target in 18.3 overs. Neesham top-scored for the team with 37 runs and was well supported by Rovman Powell, who played a superb 36-run knock. On the other hand, Mohammad Hasnain picked up three wickets for Quetta but couldn’t help his team sail through and, unfortunately, ended up on the losing side.
Apart from Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz also grabbed a scalp each for Quetta in the clash. The only wicket Naseem bagged was of set batter Powell. The 20-year-old’s fierce reaction after striking the dismissal has been making rounds on the internet.
On the second ball of the 13th over, Naseem produced a nailing yorker to Powell, which the right-handed batter had no answer to and eventually was clean bowled. As soon as the ball rattled the stump, Naseem was seen fired up and celebrating with a jump.
However, walking back to the pavilion, Powell didn’t seem happy and was seen shaking his head in disbelief.
Here’s the video:
🔊 SOUND ON 💥
WHAT A RIPPER BY @iNaseemShah 😱😱#SabSitarayHumaray l #QGvPZ l #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/MjHUghv8FX
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 20, 2023
With the win, Babar Azam-led Peshawar have moved up to the second spot in the points table, while Sarfaraz’s Quetta slipped to the fifth position in the points tally.