Babar Azam's two-ball duck against Quetta Gladiators on April 12 (Saturday) in the tenth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was the worst conceivable start. After being left out of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand earlier this month, Babar, the former captain of Pakistan, had a point to make. Babar, however, left the game empty-handed after chasing a wide delivery off Mohammad Amir's bowling in a 217-run chase where Peshawar Zalmi needed every run. Before his teammates surrounded him in a celebration, the former Pakistani bowler let out a huge roar to send Babar off.
With his last fifty being against Ireland on May 14, 2024, when he struck a 75 off 42 balls, Babar has been on a rather bad run of form in the shortest format. With a high score of 44 against the United States of America in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has since been dismissed four times in single figures. Ironically, Peshawar's batting lineup featured up to six openers, four of whom batted out of position to make room for Saim Ayub and Babar Azam. Mitchell Owen, a productive and aggressive batsman, was spotted at number seven.
Gladiators hammer Zalmi
The Quetta Gladiators defeated Peshawar Zalmi by a resounding 80-run margin in Rawalpindi to get their PSL 2025 campaign off to a strong start. The Gladiators reached 216 thanks to a scorching 88-run partnership between Finn Allen and Saud Shakeel. With almost five overs remaining, Zalmi collapsed to 136 with to a four-wicket haul from legspinner Abrar Ahmed.
In a matchup between two teams that made it to the playoffs the previous season, the Gladiators won handily. Shakeel and Allen, who were put in to bat, both found early boundaries off Saim Ayub and Muhammad Ali as the Gladiators blasted out of the starting blocks. With a series of drives through extra cover, lap-scooped sixes over fine leg, and steers beyond point, Shakeel destroyed Alzarri Joseph for 16 runs in the fourth over, displaying the true acceleration.
Despite facing 18 balls apiece, the openers contributed 65 in the PowerPlay. Allen grabbed the show in the seventh over, hitting Sufiyan Muqeem for three sixes and a four to achieve a 23-ball fifty, but Shakeel had a two-run lead. However, Allen top-edged a slog sweep off a wrong 'un to fall for 53, ending the over on a negative note. After that, Zalmi recovered, giving up just 35 runs in the following five overs, including two sixes from Hasan Nawaz. Shakeel hit a six off Mohammad Ali after reaching his fifty in 35 balls, but he was dismissed by Ali Raza for 59 (42) shortly after. With the score at 158/3 in 16.1 overs, Nawaz left after clipping Joseph straight to sweeper-cover five balls later.
However, Zalmi's attempts to keep Quetta below 200 were swiftly crushed. Arriving unbeaten at 35 off just 14, Kusal Mendis hit a six and a four off his first three deliveries. In order to reach 216, the Gladiators amassed 58 runs in the last four overs, with Rilee Rossouw contributing a 10-ball 21. Zalmi's pursuit was never initiated. Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris tried a quick response after Mohammad Amir had dismissed Babar Azam for a duck in the first over, but Abrar's arrival in the fourth over put Quetta ahead. He took a return catch off Haris first, reacting fast. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was unable to get under a heavier delivery after backing away two balls later, and his misplaced drive went straight to mid-off.
Hussain Talat provided backing for Ayub, who held tight at one end during a brief 63-run partnership. However, the innings quickly came apart as Talat was dismissed for 35 (19) in the eleventh over. Abrar finished with 4 for 42, and Zalmi lost 6 for 24 in 13 balls. Mitchell Owen provided a brief display of entertainment with four sixes in a 12-ball 31, but Amir came back to complete the Gladiators' overwhelming performance with his second wicket.