Match 23, Lahore, May 03, 2025, 08:30 PM
Islamabad United
157/9(20.0ov)
Quetta Gladiators
159/8(19.5ov)
Quetta Gladiators beat Islamabad United by 2 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Hasan Nawaz
Commentry
Alright then, Quetta Gladiators emerged victorious with a thrilling 2-wicket win against Islamabad United, and now sit at the top of the points table with 11 points in the Pakistan Super League 2025. As the league heats up, the next match will see Lahore Qalandars take on Karachi Kings in Match 24, right here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, 4th May. The action begins at 3 PM GMT, but don’t forget to tune in an hour early for all the pre-match build-up and toss updates. Until then, cheers and Adios!
Hasan Nawaz is PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his match-winning fifty.
Earlier in the first inning, after winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, Quetta Gladiators put in a strong all-round performance to restrict Islamabad United to a modest score of 157/9, despite a good start from openers Sahibzada Farhan and Kyle Mayers, who added 58 runs in the Powerplay. Abrar Ahmed’s breakthrough and Faheem Ashraf’s four-wicket haul triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse, turning the tide in Quetta’s favour. Though Mohammad Nawaz fought back with a valiant 49 and helped Islamabad reach post-150 but it didn't prove enough. Quetta's bowlers shared the wickets effectively, with skipper Saud Shakeel contributing both with the ball and in the field.
Islamabad roared back into the game with energy, and the pressure was on once again. But Hasan Nawaz stood firm amidst the chaos and in pressure as the batting woes continued for Quetta in this match, too, which they would have to rectify going forward in the tournament. He held his nerve, soaked up the pressure, and played a match-winning knock of 64 runs off just 41 balls, taking the game deep and then finishing it off brilliantly with a six. All of Islamabad’s bowlers chipped in with at least one wicket, except Kyle Mayers and Muhammad Shahzad.
Chasing a modest target of 158, Quetta got off to a decent start with a couple of early boundaries. However, Islamabad struck quickly, Salman Irshad removed captain Saud Shakeel, and in the very next over, Naseem Shah sent back the dangerous Finn Allen, putting early pressure on Quetta. But then came Rilee Rossouw, who turned the momentum around. He took on Jason Holder in the final over of the Powerplay, hitting four boundaries, and stitched together a vital 52-run partnership with Hasan Nawaz to steady the innings. However, just when it looked like Quetta were cruising, the match flipped again. A brilliant run-out by Mohammad Nawaz ended Rossouw’s stay, and then he struck again with the ball, dismissing Mark Chapman, and it seemed like he was the only man from Islamabad who was fighting against Quetta. Suddenly, Quetta slumped from 80/2 to 112/6 in just four overs.
What a thrilling finish this turned out to be! A rollercoaster of a match that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very last moment, and in the end, it was one man who stood tall - HASAN NAWAZ. The crowd at the Gaddafi Stadium witnessed a dramatic end, with momentum swinging wildly in both directions. But eventually, Islamabad United’s fielding mistakes in the final over cost them dearly. Hasan Nawaz was dropped twice in the first two balls of the last over, first by Muhammad Shahzad and then by Salman Irshad at short third man. He made full use of those chances. On the third ball, he smashed a huge six over long-off, and yet another dropped catch followed due to a collision between the keeper and the fielder, allowing him to take two more runs. And then on the fifth ball, Nawaz just smashed another six and took his team over the line. Quetta Gladiators pulled off a 2-wicket win in this nail-biting contest and have gone up first in the points table, while Islamabad United have suffered their third consecutive loss.
In over# 20
6
2
6
2
0
Muhammad Shahzad 16/0(0.5)
19.5
6
Six! Sent into the crowd! Out comes the pull shot and off goes the ball.
19.4
2
2 runs, the batter lofts this in the air and gets a couple of runs for the team.
19.3
6
Six! Up, up and away! The batter has lofted this clean as a whistle and it has cleared the boundary.
19.2
2
2 runs, this is hit inside out over fine leg for a couple.
19.1
.
No run, that is a cracking pull off the back foot, but for no run.
In over# 19
0W
1
1
0
0
4
Naseem Shah 31/2(4)
OUT.
18.6
W
OUT.
18.5
1
1 run, the batter goes back in the crease and guides it through third man. Easy single taken.
18.4
1
1 run, that is pulled away through the mid wicket region for a single.
18.3
.
No run. Swing and a miss! The batter swings hard at that one but does not connect.
18.2
.
No run.