The stage was set at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for Peshawar Zalmi’s opening clash of the Pakistan Super League 2025, but things took a dramatic turn right from the start as Babar Azam walked back for a duck in the very first over. Facing Mohammad Amir, the Zalmi skipper was lured into a loose push outside off and ended up chipping a fuller delivery straight into the hands of Rilee Rossouw at short cover. Watch the clip here: ππ ππ π«’π¦Skipper departs for a duck!#HBLPSLX l #ApnaXHai l #PZvQG pic.twitter.com/FOu7PuEeRh — PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) April 12, 2025 Also Read | Pooran and Markram’s Power-Packed Fifties Seal Easy Win for LSG Zalmis Struggle to Keep Up as Gladiators Set a High Total Another Rawalpindi one-sided contest in which the Gladiators treated the opponents to a gala event. Requested to bat, the entire top-5 pooled their collective resourcefulness and yielded a mountain total of 216 runs. Backed with a strong scorecard, the Gladiators held the key to the contest. The Zalmis, in pursuit of a tricky target, were off to a struggling beginning. They lost their skipper, Babar Azam, for a duck, and could not get started in the powerplay. The situation did not change much as they were losing wickets in a hurry. The score was 30, 93, 103, and 117 at different points as they were unable to forge alliances. Such a scorecard is difficult to get out of, and the Zalmis were in troubled waters. Whereas the wicket slowed down and some deliveries stayed low, the Gladiators earned the reprieve, since their bowlers kept applying constant pressure. Abrar's four-wicket performance was the most impressive, augmented by two wickets each for Tariq and others within the bowling division. Their overall effort made it almost impossible for Zalmi to revive their game. Ultimately, the Quetta Gladiators easily defended their score and completed another convincing win. The Zalmis, however, will be frustrated with their performance with the bat and the inability to take advantage of the chase.