Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators in a one-sided encounter by 76 runs in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
With the win, Babar Azam-led unit successfully made their way to the PSL 9 playoffs, becoming just the second team to qualify for this year’s knockout stage after Multan Sultans.
PSL 9 points table
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Aban | Bonus Pts | Points | Net RR |
| Multan Sultans | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.967 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0.148 |
| Islamabad United | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.221 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | -0.635 |
| Karachi Kings | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.241 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -0.682 |
Zalmi outclassed their counterparts in all departments of the game as the Gladiators suffered a heavy margin defeat, which considerably affected their net run rate (NRR).
However, despite a heavy loss, the Gladiators can simply make their way to the PSL 9 playoffs just by winning one of their remaining two matches, against Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans.
The race to the remaining two playoffs spots is mainly between Islamabad and Quetta as both teams just require a win to cement their place but Karachi Kings cannot be ruled out.
The Kings have six points from eight matches, with two more matches to play, Shan Masood’s men need to win both matches and hope Quetta or Islamabad lose their upcoming encounters.
However, as the Kings host rivals Lahore Qalandars at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday, a loss against Shaheen Afridi’s troops would officially eliminate them from the playoffs race.
Schedule of remaining PSL 9 matches
March 9, 2024, Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Stadium
March 10, 2024, Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Stadium
March 11, 2024, Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Bank Stadium
March 12, 2024, Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, National Bank Stadium
March 14, 2024, Qualifier (1 v 2), National Bank Stadium
March 15, 2024, Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), National Bank Stadium
March 16, 2024, Eliminator 2 (Eliminator Winner v Qualifier Runner-up), National Bank Stadium
March 18, 2024, Final, National Bank Stadium