In one of the most dominant batting displays of PSL 2026, Peshawar Zalmi annihilated Quetta Gladiators by a stunning 118 runs in the 29th match at Karachi. At the heart of it all was Babar Azam, who produced a masterpiece of T20 batting — an unbeaten century off just 52 balls — to propel Zalmi to an imposing 255/3. Quetta never came close, crumbling to 137 all out in 18.1 overs to hand Zalmi one of the biggest victories of the PSL season.

Peshawar Zalmi Innings: Mendis Launches, Babar Dominates

Peshawar Zalmi's innings was a relentless, over-by-over assault on the Quetta bowling attack. The opening powerplay set the tone immediately — 80 runs for just 1 wicket in the first 6 overs, a statement of absolute intent. The 50-run mark arrived in a mere 20 balls, and it was clear from the outset that this would be a special evening.

Kusal Mendis was the early aggressor, playing with the kind of fearless freedom that T20 cricket demands. He brought up a stunning 50 off just 24 balls, peppered with 7 fours and 2 sixes, while building a magnificent 100-run second-wicket partnership with Babar Azam in just 55 balls. At the strategic timeout, Zalmi were already sitting at a commanding 145/1 in 12 overs with Mendis on 77 and Babar on 45 — the game effectively over as a contest.

Mendis was eventually dismissed after laying an incredible foundation, but Babar Azam was just warming up. The former Pakistan captain brought up his fifty off 31 balls — composed, precise, driven through the gaps with surgical timing. As the runs kept flowing, it became apparent that a T20 century was not just possible, but inevitable.

Zalmi blazed past 200 in 16.6 overs and then exploded in the final stages. A breathtaking 50-run fourth-wicket stand between Babar and AM Hardie came off just 14 balls — an almost unbelievable scoring rate — as Quetta's bowlers were taken to every corner of the ground. Hardie smashed 26 off just 14 balls in a cameo that perfectly complemented Babar's controlled carnage.

Babar Azam finished unbeaten on 100 off 52 balls — 6 fours and 4 sixes — completing his century off the final ball of the innings in what was a moment of sheer brilliance. Peshawar closed on 255/3, their highest total of the season and one of the biggest in PSL 2026.

Quetta Gladiators Chase: A Collapse From Ball One

Chasing 256 — a near-impossible target on any surface — Quetta Gladiators needed a miracle, and instead got a nightmare. The powerplay brought further misery, as they slumped to 42/3 in the first 6 overs, losing three top-order wickets against Zalmi's pumped-up bowling attack. The asking rate was already well over 14 by the seventh over, and with key batters back in the pavilion, the chase was effectively over before it began.

Quetta reached 50 in 7.4 overs and 100 in 13.1 overs — both milestones reached too slowly to keep alive any slim hope. BJ Jacobs offered some stubborn resistance with 34, and AS Joseph chipped in with 11 in a brief seventh-wicket stand, but by the second strategic timeout Quetta were 119/7 in 14.3 overs — the end was inevitable. They were bowled out for 137 in 18.1 overs, falling 118 runs short in a result that flattered the margin of defeat.

Key Moments

  • Babar Azam's unbeaten 100 off 52 balls — a majestic innings that will be remembered as one of PSL 2026's finest.
  • Mendis' 50 off 24 balls in the powerplay gave Zalmi the platform to post an extraordinary total.
  • The 100-run second-wicket stand between Babar and Mendis in 55 balls was the match-defining partnership.
  • The Babar-Hardie 50-run stand in just 14 balls in the death overs was brutality at its finest.
  • Quetta's 42/3 powerplay collapse killed any realistic hope of a chase.

Peshawar Zalmi announce themselves as serious PSL 2026 title contenders with this emphatic victory. Quetta Gladiators face a major rebuilding job if they are to stay in the playoff race.