PSL 2021: UAE's Zahoor Khan makes debut as Gladiators beat Qalandars

Top Stories

Quetta Gladiators players celebrate a wicket. (PSL Twitter)
Quetta Gladiators players celebrate a wicket. (PSL Twitter)

Abu Dhabi - Usman Shinwari and Khurram Shahzad took three wickets each for the Gladiators

By Team KT

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Wed 16 Jun 2021, 3:38 AM

Zahoor Khan became the first UAE player to make PSL debut as his team, Quetta Gladiators, beat Lahore Qalandars by 18 runs in the HBL Pakistan Super League at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Listen to this story and more on the 8@8 with David Light podcast


Usman Shinwari and Khurram Shahzad took three wickets each for the Gladiators.

Chasing 159, Qalandars were bowled out for 140 and never seemed in control of the chase. They had lost their top four batsmen inside powerplay and their troubles had begun from the second ball when Usman dismissed Sohail Akhtar.


Fakhar Zaman was bowled by Mohammad Hasnain for 12 in the fourth over and Usman dismissed veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

Right-arm pacer Khurram then took his first wicket on the penultimate powerplay ball by removing Zeeshan Ashraf, reducing Qalandars to 40 for four after six overs.

Mohammad Nawaz delivered crucial blow as he bowled Ben Dunk and Rashid Khan in the seventh and ninth overs. When it started to look all bleak for Qalandars, Tim David hammered Zahoor for one four and two sixes in the 13th over as his team got 23 runs from it and then smashed Usman for successive fours at the start of the 15th over.

The right-handed David was caught behind on the last ball of that over as Usman took Qalandars closer to the win. He blasted three sixes and four fours in his 27-ball 46.

Shaheen Shah Afridi then smashed a six and edged a bouncer for four and Haris Rauf hit two fours and a six which kept Qalandars’ fans interest alive in the match, but it was all too late.

Hasnain, who had been at the receiving end of the blows from his fellow Pakistan pacers, bowled Haris with a searing yorker to seal the win.

Khurram’s other two scalps were Ahmed Daniyal and Shaheen.

Earlier, Gladiators’ 158 for five was based on two crucial stands between Jake Weatherald and Cameron Deplort which added 58 runs and Sarfaraz Ahmed and Azam Khan which contributed 43.

Weatherald was the leading scorer with a 41-ball 48, which included eight fours and a six.

Sarfaraz remained unbeaten on 34 off 27 (three fours and a six) and Azam smashed 33 runs at a strike-rate of above 183. The youngster’s 18-ball stay was studded with five fours and a six.

James Faulkner was once again the pick of the bowlers for Qalandars as he took three wicket for 25.

Brief scores:

Quetta Gladiators beat Lahore Qalandars by 18 runs

Quetta Gladiators 158-5 in 20 overs (Jake Weatherald 48. Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out, Azam Khan 33; James Faulkner 3-25)

Lahore Qalandars 140 all out in 18 overs (Tim David 46; Khurram Shahzad 3-14, Usman Shinwari 3-32, Mohammad Nawaz 2-16, Mohammad Hasnain 2-40)

Player of the match: Usman Shinwari (Quetta Gladiators)


More news from