KARACHI: Captain Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw’s measured yet momentum-shifting partnership laid the foundation for Quetta Gladiators’ second victory of the HBL Pakistan Super League season as they defeated Rawalpindiz by 61 runs here at the National Bank Stadium on Friday night.
While Gladiators improved to two wins, Rawalpindiz remained winless, their batting once again collapsing under pressure on a slowish surface.
Opting to bat first, Gladiators recovered from an early jolt and posted a competitive 182 for 6. The chase never truly ignited for Rawalpindiz, who were bundled out for 121 in 17.3 overs, their top order failing to fire and middle order unable to build any sustained resistance.
Sam Harper and Saud opened the innings for the Gladiators against a changed Rawalpindiz attack that included debutant Ben Sears.
Asif Afridi and New Zealand pacer Sears shared the new ball, and powerplay yielded 43 runs, though not without drama.
Harper looked aggressive, slapping a boundary over covers off Sears, but fell in the fourth over when a slower ball crashed into the top of leg stump for eight. Rossouw walked in at number and immediately brought fluency to the innings.
What followed was an 87-run second-wicket stand between Saud and Rossouw that defined Gladiators’ innings.
Saud played with characteristic patience, rotating the strike and picking singles while occasionally finding the boundary with well-timed sweeps and cuts.
Rossouw, returning to form, displayed his class with elegant drives through mid-off and powerful cuts and pulls.
The pair slowly rebuilt after the early wicket, taking the score to 70 for one in 10 overs despite tight bowling from Rawalpindiz spinners Mubasir Khan and Saad Masood, who kept the boundaries in check during the middle overs.
The acceleration came after the strategic timeout. Rossouw brought up his fifty in style with a boundary off Daryl Mitchell and then launched a massive six over deep mid-wicket.
Just as the partnership threatened to take the game away, Rossouw fell for 53 off 42 balls, holing out to long-on off Mubasir. Saud followed soon after for a gritty 42 off 39, chopping a slower delivery from Sears onto his stumps.
Entered Hasan Nawaz at number four. The middle-order batter announced his arrival with consecutive sixes off Mubasir — one over wide long-on and another straight over long-off — injecting much-needed aggression into Gladiators’ innings.
Hasan’s whirlwind 39 off just 16 balls, which was studded with five sixes, turned the innings around in the death overs. His fearless hitting, combined with useful contributions from the lower order, pushed Gladiators past 150 and eventually to 182.
Jahandad Khan provided the final flourish, smashing an unbeaten 21 off six, including two sixes and two fours.
Khawaja Nafay and Bevon Jacobs fell in quick succession, but the damage had already been done.
Chasing 183, the Rawalpindiz innings began disastrously.
Jahandad struck with the very first ball, inducing an edge from Mohammad Rizwan that was smartly taken by Rossouw at slip — a golden duck for the Rawalpindiz skipper.
Usman Khawaja and Yasir Khan tried to steady the ship, but Khawaja was run out for seven in a moment of confusion.
Yasir Khan played some aggressive shots, including a six and three boundaries, but fell for 22 when Abrar Ahmed induced a top-edge to deep mid-wicket.
Mitchell anchored the middle order with a patient 30 off 32, but the required rate kept climbing. Abdullah Fazal added 20 before being caught at backward point off Usman Tariq.
From there, the collapse was swift and complete. Sam Billings lasted only two balls, Saad Masood’s entertaining 31 off 19 — featuring three sixes — came too late, and the lower order offered little resistance.
Gladiators bowlers shared the spoils effectively. Jahandad finished with two for eight, including the vital early breakthrough and the dismissal of Saad.
Usman claimed two wickets, while Saud, bowling his lone over, produced a magical spell, taking two wickets including a stunning catch to remove Mitchell.
The Gladiators will take plenty of confidence from this comprehensive performance, particularly the contributions of Saud, Rossouw and the explosive Hasan, while Rawalpindiz must regroup quickly if they are to turn their fortunes around in the league stage.
Scoreboard
QUETTA GLADIATORS:
Saud Shakeel b Sears 42
Sam Harper b Sears 8
Rilee Rossouw c Billings b Mubasir 53
Hasan Nawaz c Yasir b Sears 39
Khawaja Nafay c Khawaja b Amir 6
Bevon Jacobs lbw b Amir 3
Jahandad Khan not out 21
Kashif Bhatti not out 1
EXTRAS (B-6, LB-2, W-1) 9
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 182
DID NOT BAT: Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed, Khalil Ahmed
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-22 (Harper), 2-109 (Rossouw), 3-123 (Saud), 4-138 (Nafay), 5-156 (Jacobs), 6-170 (Hasan)
BOWLING: Asif 2-0-21-0, Sears 4-0-41-3 (1w), Amir 4-0-31-2, Mubasir 4-0-38-1 (1nb), Saad 4-0-24-0, Mitchell 2-0-19-0
RAWALPINDIZ:
Mohammad Rizwan c Rossouw b Jahandad 0
Usman Khawaja run out 7
Yasir Khan c Nafay b Abrar 22
Daryl Mitchell c&b Saud 30
Abdullah Fazal c Khalil b Usman 20
Sam Billings c Khalil b Kashif 1
Saad Masood c Abrar b Jahandad 31
Asif Afridi c Nafay b Saud 0
Mubasir Khan c Jahandad b Usman 6
Ben Sears not out 1
Mohammad Amir run out 0
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-1) 3
TOTAL (all out, 17.3 overs) 121
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Rizwan), 2-27 (Khawaja), 3-45 (Yasir), 4-77 (Abdullah), 5-82 (Billings), 6-82 (Mitchell), 7-82 (Asif), 8-104 (Mubasir), 9-120 (Saad)
BOWLING: Jahandad 2.3-0-8-2 (1nb), Khalil 3-0-25-0, Abrar 3-0-24-1, Kashif 4-0-36-1, Usman 4-0-23-2 (1w), Saud 1-0-4-2
RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by 61 runs.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rilee Rossouw
Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2026
