Quetta Gladiators vs Islamabad United PSL 2025 Recap

Pakistan Super LeagueResult

Islamabad United

154/10

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium · Wednesday, 7 May 2025

Quetta Gladiators won by 109 runsPlayer of the match: RR Rossouw

Match preview

Quetta Gladiators dismantle Islamabad United by 109 runs in Rawalpindi

Match overview

Quetta Gladiators produced one of the most comprehensive batting displays in this PSL season, posting 263/3 against Islamabad United at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 7 May 2025 and then dismissing their opponents for just 154 to win by 109 runs. Islamabad had won the toss and chosen to field, which looked a reasonable call at a ground where 60 per cent of chasing sides historically come out on top. It did not work out that way. Rilee Rossouw was named Player of the Match as Quetta's batters put on a total that was nearly 50 runs clear of the ground's average first-innings score of 214.

The innings had three distinct phases, each of which went Quetta's way. They scored 63 runs in the powerplay for 2 wickets, a solid platform. The middle overs were where the match turned decisively: 119 runs came from overs 7 to 15 without a single wicket falling. The death overs added a further 81 for one more wicket. Islamabad's bowlers had no answer to the onslaught across all 20 overs.

Venue and conditions

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has hosted 79 T20 matches and is among the more batting-friendly grounds in Pakistan. The average first-innings score of 214 and second-innings score of 208 indicate a true surface where totals are broadly equivalent regardless of when you bat. The average powerplay brings 41 runs, making Quetta's powerplay of 63 a significant overperformance and Islamabad's 53 an adequate start in isolation. Average death-over runs across all matches here stand at 34; Quetta's 81 in that phase was well above the norm.

Toss decisions at this ground are broadly split towards fielding first, with 58 per cent of toss winners electing to chase. The chase-success rate of 60 per cent supports that instinct in normal conditions. This match was anything but normal. When a batting side get through the middle overs without a wicket and score at the rate Quetta did, no ground's historical tendencies make much difference.

How to watch

PSL matches are broadcast in the UK via Sky Sports Cricket. Fans without a satellite package can stream through Sky Go or take out a day or monthly pass via NOW TV. Check the Sky Sports schedule for the confirmed broadcast slot for each fixture, as some matches are aired with a short delay depending on the time difference with Pakistan.

Recent form

Going into this fixture, Quetta Gladiators were the form side. Their recent results showed four wins from their last five matches, with the only blip a no-result against Lahore Qalandars. They had beaten Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Karachi Kings in sequence before this victory over Islamabad.

Islamabad United arrived at Rawalpindi in a far less settled position. Their recent record showed two wins against Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings, but sandwiched around back-to-back losses to Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars. A team that had lost three of their last five came up against one that had won four of theirs, and the scoreline reflected that. Islamabad's next fixture gives them the chance to stop the slide, though the scale of this defeat raises genuine questions about their batting depth in high-pressure chases.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

Gladiators post record-busting 263/3

Quetta Gladiators finished with 263/3, nearly 50 runs above Rawalpindi's average first-innings score of 214 across 79 matches at the ground. The middle overs were particularly destructive: 119 runs came from overs 7-15 without the loss of a single wicket, putting the game beyond reach well before the death.

Angle 02

Islamabad's powerplay collapse sealed the chase

Islamabad United lost 5 wickets in the powerplay while scoring just 53 runs, effectively ending any realistic pursuit of 264. Rawalpindi's average powerplay score across all matches is 41 runs, so the run rate was there, but the wickets were not. They were bundled out for 154, losing all 10 wickets across the innings.

Angle 03

Rossouw named Player of the Match

Rilee Rossouw took the individual award in a match where Quetta's batting line-up put in a collective performance of the highest order. His contribution headlined an innings that exploited Rawalpindi's batting-friendly surface to its fullest.

Angle 04

Islamabad chose to field, paid the price

Islamabad United won the toss and elected to field, a choice that looks reasonable on paper given Rawalpindi's 60 per cent historical chase-success rate. On the night, it backfired badly. Quetta's batters made the most of the decision, and the target they set was never remotely chaseable.

Angle 05

Head-to-head shifts further in Quetta's favour

With this victory, Quetta Gladiators now lead the all-time head-to-head record 12 wins to 11 across 23 meetings. Three of the last five encounters between these sides have gone to Quetta, suggesting a slight shift in momentum in what remains one of the PSL's closest rivalries.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

130

Avg 1st innings score at Cricket Stadium

13 matches · 2019

Chase success

77%

Chases completed successfully at Cricket Stadium

13 matches · 2019

Powerplay

36/2.2

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at Cricket Stadium

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United have met 23 times in PSL history, with the Gladiators edging ahead 12 wins to 11. It is as close a rivalry as the PSL has produced. This latest result extends Quetta's recent run, with three wins from the last five meetings between the sides.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2026: Islamabad United won by 8 wickets at Gaddafi
2025: Quetta Gladiators won by 30 runs at Gaddafi
2025: Quetta Gladiators won by 2 wickets at Gaddafi
2024: Islamabad United won by 39 runs at National Stadium Karachi
2024: Quetta Gladiators won by 3 wickets at Gaddafi

Key player · Islamabad United

Mohammad Rizwan

Rizwan is Islamabad's most experienced batter at the top of the order. On a night when five wickets fell in the powerplay, his dismissal early would have been central to United's collapse, and his form will be a key factor in any Islamabad recovery.

Full career stats

Islamabad United

Hasan Ali

A proven wicket-taker in Pakistani conditions, Hasan Ali's ability to take early wickets is exactly what Islamabad needed with the ball in this fixture. His performance with the ball would have been critical to any hope of pulling the match back.

Career stats →

Islamabad United

Nauman Ali

Nauman Ali brings slow left-arm spin that can tie batters down in the middle overs. Given that Quetta scored 119 runs in the middle phase without losing a wicket, his role in breaking that partnership would have been pivotal.

Career stats →

Islamabad United

Imam-ul-Haq

Imam is capable of anchoring a chase and rebuilding after early losses. With five wickets down inside the powerplay, United needed someone to bat deep. His ability to occupy the crease under pressure makes him the most important Islamabad batter in damage-limitation situations.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

Given Rawalpindi's historical 60 per cent chase-success rate, toss-winner markets may attract interest in future fixtures at this venue, though this match showed how quickly conditions can override that trend.
Top batter markets may be worth monitoring at Rawalpindi given the ground's average first-innings score of 214 and the possibility of high individual contributions on a surface that historically favours strokeplay.
Powerplay wickets markets could be relevant at this venue: Islamabad's collapse to 53/5 in the powerplay was unusually severe, but the ground's pace-friendly conditions do create opportunities for early movement.
Margin-of-victory lines tend to offer value at grounds where scores are heavily skewed, and Rawalpindi's average second-innings score of 208 versus the 154 posted here highlights that large margins are possible when conditions swing to one side.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Quetta Gladiators won by 109 runs. Batting first, they posted 263/3 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Islamabad United, who had won the toss and elected to field, were dismissed for 154 in reply. Rilee Rossouw was named Player of the Match.

The match was played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on 7 May 2025. The ground has hosted 79 T20 matches, with an average first-innings score of 214.

Islamabad United lost 5 wickets in the powerplay while scoring only 53 runs, which made the target of 264 effectively unreachable from the outset. They finished all out for 154, a deficit of 109 runs. In contrast, Quetta had scored 119 runs without loss in the middle overs of their innings.

Across 23 PSL meetings, Quetta Gladiators lead 12 wins to 11. Three of the last five encounters have gone to Quetta, though Islamabad won the most recent meeting in 2026 by 8 wickets at Gaddafi Stadium.

PSL matches are typically available in the UK via Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming through Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a satellite subscription. Availability can vary by fixture, so checking the Sky Sports schedule ahead of each match is advisable.

Rilee Rossouw was awarded Player of the Match for his contribution to Quetta Gladiators' innings total of 263/3, the highest score posted in this particular fixture.

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