By Zainab Shafiq 
Quetta Gladiators emerged victorious over Peshawar Zalmi in a closely contested exhibition match held in Quetta on Sunday. Despite a strong start by the Zalmi, who reached 109-1 at the halfway point, Quetta’s bowlers managed to disrupt their opponent’s progress by taking regular wickets. The standout bowler for Quetta was Mohammad Hasnain, who returned figures of 3-30 in four overs. Naseem Shah defended nine runs in the final over to secure the win for Quetta.
Earlier in the match, Iftikhar Ahmed starred with the bat for Quetta, scoring a robust 94 runs in 50 balls, including six sixes in the final over of the innings. Khushdil Shah contributed 36 runs in 24 balls, while Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored 28 runs in 19 balls.
Quetta’s total of 185 runs proved too much for Zalmi, who were limited to 181-7 in 20 overs. Opener Mohammad Haris top-scored for Zalmi with 53 runs in 35 balls, while Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam added 25 and 23 runs respectively. Despite three wickets from veteran pacer Wahab Riaz, he conceded 47 runs in his full quota of four overs.
The match was played at an intense level, with both teams displaying exceptional skills and putting up a thrilling battle. Despite the loss, Zalmi put up a strong fight, particularly in the beginning of the chase, led by opener Mohammad Haris and supported by solid contributions from Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam.
On the other hand, Quetta was led by the impressive performance of Iftikhar Ahmed, who smashed 94 runs, and the steady contributions from Khushdil Shah and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai. The win by Quetta Gladiators was a result of their well-rounded performance with both bat and ball, and demonstrated the team’s strength and resilience.
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Watch: Iftikhar Ahmed hits six sixes in an over during PSL 8 exhibition match