LAHORE – Quetta Gladiators secured a commanding 30-run victory over Islamabad United in a high-stakes Qualifier clash to book their place in the final of the HBL PSL X. The match, played at a half-packed Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, saw an all-round masterclass from Faheem Ashraf, who played a pivotal role with both bat and ball. Chasing a daunting target of 210, Islamabad United got off to a poor start as Faheem Ashraf removed Alex Hales for a duck in the second over. Despite a valiant 52 from Sahibzada Farhan and a fiery 44 from Salman Agha, Islamabad’s innings never found stability as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Usman Tariq was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 32. Faheem returned to snare two key wickets – including the dangerous James Neesham – to complete an outstanding all-round display (2-38). Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Wasim also chipped in with two wickets apiece, helping Quetta dismiss Islamabad for 179 in 19.4 overs.
Batting first, Quetta posted an imposing 209/6 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to a match-defining 95-run partnership between Faheem Ashraf and veteran Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Chandimal. The duo rescued Quetta from a mid-innings wobble, accelerating in the death overs to put Islamabad on the back foot.
Faheem’s blistering 45 off 23 balls, laced with four boundaries and three sixes, came at a strike rate of 195.65, while Chandimal held the innings together with a composed 48* off 28 balls. Earlier, Finn Allen provided a brisk start with 41 off 27 deliveries, and Avishka Fernando added 32 in 21 balls. Left-armer Ben Dwarshuis and right-arm seamer Salman Irshad claimed two wickets apiece for Islamabad, though they proved expensive.
With this comprehensive victory, Quetta Gladiators booked their ticket to the HBL PSL X final, where they will aim to clinch their second league title. Faheem Ashraf was rightly adjudged player of the match for his game-changing contributions. Today (Thursday), home favourites Lahore Qalandars will take on Karachi Kings at 7:30 PM at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, which is expected to be jam-packed with cricket crazy fans.
Scores in Brief
QUETTA GLADIATORS 209/6 (Chandimal 48, Faheem Ashraf 45, Finn Allen 41; Salman Irshad 2-34, Dwarshuis 2-31) beat ISLAMABAD UNITED 179 all out (Sahibzada Farhan 52, Salman Agha 44; Usman Tariq 3-32, Faheem Ashraf 2-38) by 30 runs.
