RAWALPINDI – Quetta Gladiators defeated Karachi Kings by four wickets in the 22nd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Karachi Kings set a target of 165 runs for Quetta Gladiators in 20 overs at the loss of six wickets. Quetta Gladiators achieved the target in 19.5 overs at the loss of six wickets.
After Karachi Kings opener Matthew Wade was sent to pavilion for duck, his partner Adam Rossington displayed powerful performance as his knock of 69 helped team to build a fighting total. After Naveenul Haq removed the in-form batter, no player could perform well.
Imad Wasim made unbeaten 30 runs while Aamer Yamin scored 23 runs in an attempt to keep the scored ticking up.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators won the toss elect to field first.
A balanced game was expected for Monday as two sides suffered back-to-back blows and were languishing at the bottom of the points table.
Sarafarz-led Gladiators eyed a comeback in today’s fixture in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Karachi Kings are the only team that Quetta managed to thrash so far in the ongoing Twenty20 league and thus, they will be confident of their chances in the game.
Both sides are said to be playing for their prestige amid very little chance of sliding into play-offs. Kings and Gladiators will lock horns to avoid humiliation for being the first to exit the country’s flagship cricket tournament.
Gladiator’s batting line-up raised many eyebrows while only a few bowlers gained momentum and in a similar fashion Quetta Gladiators too faced severe blows and fans are expecting a reshuffle in the squad.
PSL8, Match 6: Guptill steers Quetta Gladiators to victory over Karachi Kings
Squads
Quetta Gladiators: Naseem Shah, Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Hasnain, Naveen-ul-Haq, Jason Roy, Qais Ahmad, Omair Yousuf, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Will Smeed, Odean Smith, Umaid Asif, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Iftikhar Ahmed, Martin Guptill, Abdul Bangalzai, Aimal Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, Mohammad Nawaz
Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim (c), Aamer Yamin, Akif Javed, James Fuller, Haider Ali, Imran Tahir, Irfan Khan, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Umar, Muhammad Akhlaq, Qasim Akram, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Tayyab Tahir, Andrew Tye, James Vince, Matthew Wade
