The owner of Quetta Gladiators, Nadeem Omar, has rewarded his players after their six-run victory against Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League season eight. Martin Guptill, who scored a brilliant century, received a cash prize of Rs500,000, while Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Qais Ahmad, and Odean Smith were each awarded Rs50,000. Omar has promised to give cash prizes to the cricketers who play vital roles in Quetta’s future victories during the remainder of the tournament as well. The match against Karachi Kings was Quetta's first win in the tournament, whereas Karachi have now lost three matches in a row.
Karachi Kings fall short of the target
Chasing a target of 169 runs, Karachi Kings fell short of their target as they were restricted to 162-5 in their allotted 20 overs. In-form Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on 71 runs in 49 balls, including eight fours and a six, but could not get his team over the line. Meanwhile, Irfan Khan was not out on 37 runs in 26 balls with the help of one four and three maximums. Karachi had a poor start to their run-chase after losing three wickets within five overs. Sharjeel Khan and Haider Ali were both dismissed for a duck, while James Vince, who looked in control briefly, could only score 22 runs in 14 balls.
Bowlers hold their nerve to ensure Quetta victory
Malik and Irfan threatened to chase down the target, adding 86 runs in 54 balls for the sixth wicket, but Quetta’s bowlers, especially Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain, held their nerve in the death overs to ensure their side ended up winning the match. Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2-29 in four overs, while Naseem, Qais Ahmad, and Mohammad Nawaz claimed one wicket each.
Guptill's century leads Quetta's recovery
Opener Martin Guptill's century helped Quetta Gladiators recover after losing quick wickets early in their innings. Quetta posted 168-7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first by Karachi. Guptill scored 117 runs in 67 balls, including 12 fours and five sixes, and was dismissed on the final ball of the innings. Iftikhar Ahmed was the second-highest run-scorer in Quetta's innings after scoring 32 runs in 27 balls. Karachi captain Imad Wasim bagged impressive figures of 3-16 in four overs, which included the wickets of Jason Roy, Abdul Bangalzai, and Umar Akmal, but Aamer Yamin also claimed 3-37 in four overs for the team.
