Rilee Rossouw and Saud Shakeel starred in an all-round masterclass as Quetta Gladiators cruised to a commanding 61-run victory over winless Rawalpindiz in Match 18 of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Stadium, consigning their opponents to a fifth consecutive defeat and edging them closer to a premature league-stage exit.
The Gladiators’ innings ignited after an early wobble, with Rossouw (53 off 42 balls, 6x4s, 1×6) and Shakeel (42 off 39 balls, 3x4s) stitching a crucial 87-run second-wicket stand on a slow, gripping pitch. Their composed aggression rescued the innings from 1-17, propelling Quetta to a challenging 182/6, bolstered by late fireworks from Hasan Nawaz and Jahandad Khan.
In the chase, Rawalpindiz’s middle order imploded spectacularly against Gladiators’ disciplined attack. Shakeel returned with the ball to devastating effect, snaring 2-4 in a miserly spell that shattered the batting backbone alongside Jahandad Khan’s 2-8. Despite a fleeting 30 from Mitchell, Rawalpindiz folded to 121 all out in just 17.3 overs, their top order crumbling after initial promise.
Rossouw’s match-winning knock earned him Player of the Match honors, lifting Gladiators to their second win in five outings. For Rawalpindiz, pointless after half their fixtures, the writing is on the wall as elimination looms large.
