Akeal Hosein : Hat-trick in blood as Peshawar Zalmi secure MASSIVE WIN over Quetta Gladiators | Pakistan Super League 2024 | Cricket | Sports | The Amit Gahlyan

 Akeal Hosein : Hat-trick in blood as Peshawar Zalmi secure  MASSIVE WIN .

Peshawar Zalmi have qualified for the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League 2024 after a convincing 76-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi on Friday. The match featured a sensational hat-trick by Quetta's Akeal Hosein, but it was not enough to stop Zalmi from posting a formidable total of 196/8 and then bowling out the Gladiators for 120.

Zalmi's openers Saim Ayub and Babar Azam gave their team a flying start after being asked to bat first by Quetta captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Ayub smashed 30 off 12 balls, hitting six fours and a six, while Babar scored a fluent 53 off 30 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. The duo added 70 runs in the powerplay and set the tone for a big score.

Quetta's bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught as Zalmi reached 135/4 in 12 overs. However, they found an unlikely hero in Hosein, who turned the game on its head with a brilliant spell of left-arm spin. He dismissed Babar in his third over and then came back to bowl the 18th over, where he claimed a hat-trick.

Hosein first bowled Amer Jamal with a quicker delivery that skidded through his defence. He then had Mehran Mumtaz caught at long-on by Jason Roy off a full toss. And finally, he completed his hat-trick by trapping Luke Wood lbw with a straighter one. He finished with figures of 4/23 in four overs, becoming the second bowler to take a hat-trick in PSL history.

Hosein's heroics reduced Zalmi to 168/8, but they still managed to reach 196 thanks to a cameo from Rovman Powell, who scored 28 off 25 balls with four boundaries. Quetta's chase never got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out in 17.5 overs.

Saud Shakeel was the only batsman to show some resistance, scoring 24 off 12 balls with three fours and a six. He added 46 runs for the first wicket with Roy, who made 16, but once they were dismissed, Quetta collapsed against Zalmi's disciplined bowling attack.

Ayub, who was named the Player of the Match, also contributed with the ball, taking 2/20 in three overs. Wood, Khurram Shehzad and Mumtaz also picked up two wickets each as Zalmi completed a comprehensive win and secured their place in the top four.

Brief Scores: Peshawar Zalmi 196/8 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 53, Saim Ayub 30; Akeal Hosein 4-23) beat Quetta Gladiators 120 in 17.5 overs (Saud Shakeel 24; Khurram Shahzad 2-15, Saim Ayub 2-20, Luke Wood 2-21, Mumtaz 2-22) by 76 runs.