KARACHI: The National Bank Stadium remained devoid of spectators on Wednesday night, in keeping with the government’s austerity measures that have seen all matches of this HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season played behind closed doors.

The silence, now a familiar feature of the ongoing tournament, once again framed the contest — and in that stillness, one sound stood out above all: the crisp, assured echo of Babar Azam’s bat striking the ball.

That rhythm accompanied Peshawar Zalmi’s march to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators, as their captain crafted an unbeaten 71 to steer his side to the 156-run target with nine balls to spare.

Zalmi’s sixth successive win kept them unbeaten and virtually assured of a place in the playoffs, while Gladiators’ campaign continued to falter leaving them fifth on the table with just two wins from six outings.

Earlier, Gladiators were bowled out for 154 on the final ball of their innings, never quite managing to impose themselves despite a handful of promising starts, thanks to another incisive spell by Sufiyan Muqeem.

Ahsan Ali departed early for four, caught by Mohammad Haris off Iftikhar Ahmed, before captain Saud Shakeel’s 16 off 13 balls ended in a run-out, leaving Gladiators at 39-2.

Rilee Rossouw briefly countered with a fluent 26 off 18 deliveries, striking four boundaries and briefly shifting momentum. Having taken on Mohammad Basit for three consecutive fours, the South African looked set for more but was undone by left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan, dragging a delivery onto his stumps in the eighth over.

At 62-3, Gladiators required consolidation but instead found themselves slipping further. Shamyl Hussain managed 12 before holing out to Aaron Hardie, while Khawaja Nafay’s brisk 20 off 13 balls — including a six — ended when he was trapped lbw by Sufiyan.

Hasan Nawaz top-scored with 37 off 35 deliveries, though his innings lacked the acceleration needed to lift the total. Attempting to take on Basit, he was undone by a sharp bouncer and edged behind to Kusal Mendis.

Tom Curran’s 15 offered some late resistance, but the lower order could not provide the finishing push. Jahandad Khan and Alzarri Joseph fell in quick succession, while Usman Tariq was run out off the final delivery as Gladiators were dismissed for a pretty moderate total.

Sufiyan was the standout performer with the ball, returning figures of 3-25, while Basit matched him with three wickets. Iftikhar chipped in with 1-20 to complete a disciplined bowling effort.

In reply, Zalmi approached the chase with calm assurance, their innings unfolding against the now-familiar backdrop of empty stands.

Haris provided early impetus, scoring 35 off 28 balls with five fours and a six, as he and Babar put together a 75-run opening partnership.

Haris fell in the ninth over, caught by Shamyl Hussain off Saud Shakeel, but by then the platform had been firmly laid.

At the other end, Babar’s innings carried a sense of quiet authority. Each stroke — a cover drive threaded through the infield, a cut played late and precisely, a flick off the pads — resonated across the empty arena, the absence of crowd noise only amplifying the quality of his timing.

He reached his third half-century of the season in 37 balls, continuing to anchor the chase with composure.

Mendis contributed 21 off 19 deliveries before falling to Alzarri Joseph, but with the required rate under control, there was little urgency.

Hardie added an unbeaten 18, supporting his captain as Zalmi edged closer to the target.

Fittingly, it was Babar who completed the job, glancing a boundary to seal the victory — the final echo of a night where his bat provided the dominant soundtrack.

For Gladiators, the defeat once again exposed their inability to sustain momentum, both with the bat and the ball. Despite brief contributions, they failed to exert control at crucial stages.

Zalmi, meanwhile, continue to combine discipline with consistency, their captain leading from the front in a campaign that has, so far, unfolded with near-perfect rhythm.

Scoreboard

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Ahsan Ali c Haris b Iftikhar4

Saud Shakeel run out16

Rilee Rossouw b Sufiyan26

Hasan Nawaz c Haris b Basit37

Shamyl Hussain c Hardie b Sufiyan12

Khawaja Nafay lbw b Sufiyan20

Tom Curran c Farhan b Basit15

Jahandad Khan run out6

Alzarri Joseph c Mendis b Basit6

Abrar Ahmed not out3

Usman Tariq run out1

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-2)8

TOTAL (all out, 20 overs)154

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Ahsan), 2-39 (Saud), 3-62 (Rossouw), 4-86 (Shamyl), 5-112 (Hasan), 6-120 (Nafay), 7-136 (Jahandad), 8-143 (Curran), 9-150 (Joseph)

BOWLING: Iftikhar 4-0-20-1 (1w), Basit 4-0-36-3, Bracewell 2-0-23-0, Ali 4-0-28-0 (1w, 1nb), Sufiyan 4-0-25-3, Hardie 2-0-17-0

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Mohammad Haris c Shamyl b Saud35

Babar Azam not out71

Kusal Mendis c Usman b Joseph21

Aaron Hardie not out18

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-3, NB-1, W-5)11

TOTAL (for two wickets, 18.3 overs)156

DID NOT BAT: Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit, Ali Raza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-75 (Haris), 2-124 (Mendis)

BOWLING: Jahandad 2.3-0-27-0, Curran 1-0-13-0, Abrar 4-0-31-0 (2w), Joseph 4-0-32-1 (1w, 1nb), Saud 3-0-23-1, Usman 4-0-25-0 (1w)

RESULT: Peshsawar Zalmi won by eight wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sufiyan Muqeem

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026