Match overview
Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by 8 wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on 2 April 2026. Quetta won the toss, batted first, and posted 183/5, with a particularly strong finish of 74 runs from the death overs without losing a wicket. United's reply was calm and controlled. They scored 58 runs in the powerplay, then turned the match firmly in their favour with 83 runs for 1 wicket through the middle phase. Islamabad closed on 189/2. Shadab Khan was named Player of the Match.
The margin flattered United slightly, but only slightly. Quetta's innings had real momentum at the end, yet their middle overs cost them dearly: 4 wickets fell for 49 runs between overs 7 and 15, which compressed their total. United's batters had no such trouble navigating the same stretch of the innings.
Venue and conditions
Gaddafi Stadium has hosted 145 T20 matches and carries a well-established reputation as a batting surface, though the numbers are more nuanced than the ground's reputation suggests. The average first-innings score sits at 208, which means Quetta's 183 was actually below par for the venue. The average powerplay produces 46 runs; both teams exceeded that, with Quetta scoring 60/1 and United 58/1 in their respective first six overs.
Death-overs scoring at Gaddafi averages 43 runs. Quetta's 74 from that phase was exceptional and kept them competitive. United needed only 48 in the same period, arriving at the finish line with wickets in hand. On chasing, the venue's record stands at 43 per cent success across its 145 matches, which makes United's 8-wicket result one of the more emphatic chases the ground has seen. Teams that field first after winning the toss do so 49 per cent of the time at this venue; Quetta's decision to bat was therefore a slight deviation from the norm.
How to watch
PSL 2026 is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming available through Sky Go for existing subscribers or via a NOW TV Sports day or monthly pass. Full match replays and highlights are typically available on Sky's on-demand service within a few hours of the final ball. For scheduling and any late fixture changes, the Sky Sports website is the most reliable source of UK broadcast times.
Recent form
Islamabad United came into this match having lost their most recent 2026 fixture against Multan Sultans, and with four defeats in their previous five outings across 2025 and 2026 combined. A win here was needed, and they delivered it convincingly. Their only other 2026 result before this game was also a loss, so the 8-wicket victory will carry genuine weight in the standings.
Quetta Gladiators arrived at Gaddafi in better recent form. They had won two of their last five matches, including a win over Islamabad United in 2025, and had beaten Hyderabad Kingsmen in their most recent 2026 outing before this fixture. The head-to-head trend had been running in Quetta's favour too, with three wins from the last five meetings prior to 2 April. United's performance here snaps that sequence. Both sides will meet again later in the PSL season, and the head-to-head record at 12-11 to Quetta ensures that fixture will carry its usual edge.