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Jason Roy slammed a sensational 145* off only 63 balls in match number 25 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 as Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi by eight wickets on Wednesday, March 8.
Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and opted to bat first at the Pindi Club Ground in Rawalpindi. Peshawar skipper Babar Azam led from the front, smashing 115 off only 65 balls, with the aid of 15 fours and three sixes.
Babar and Saim Ayub (74 off 34) added 162 for the opening wicket, while Rovman Powell contributed 35* off 18 as Peshawar Zalmi put up 240/2 on the board. However, Quetta Gladiators chased down the target in 18.2 overs courtesy of a spectacular hundred from Roy.
The England opener struck 20 fours and five sixes, scoring at an exceptional strike rate of 230.16 as the Gladiators registered a thumping eight-wicket triumph. In the chase, Roy and Martin Guptill (21 off 8) added 41 in 2.5 overs for the first wicket.
Will Smeed was dismissed for 26 off 22, but Roy and Mohammad Hafeez (41* off 18) ensured a famous win for the Gladiators. The duo added an unbroken 93 for the third wicket as Hafeez clubbed six fours and two sixes in his brilliant counter-attack.
A number of T20 records were broken as Roy and Hafeez went berserk. The target of 241 chased by Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi is the highest successful target chased in the PSL, going past Multan Sultans' 207 against Lahore Qalandars in 2022.
Roy's 145* for Quetta Gladiators against Peshawar Zalmi is now the highest individual score in the Pakistan Super League. The previous best was 127* by Colin Ingram for Karachi Kings against Quetta Gladiators in 2019.
“Just went out there and had some fun” - Jason Roy on incredible knock
Speaking after the game, Roy reflected on his special knock and stated that he just had some fun in the middle. The 32-year-old said that he had to go hard from the first ball since the target was a big one, adding that it was just his day. The England dasher commented:
“Just went out there and had some fun. Had to go hard from ball one, on that wicket and with these boundaries, it was a hell of a lot of fun. It was one of those days, it came off, extremely happy. On pitches like these, you have to play proper shots, very tough for the bowlers.
“Really up there, especially in T20 cricket, it does not happen that often and I will cherish every moment.”
Quetta Gladiators are fifth in the PSL 2023 points table with six points. They have won three and lost six of their nine games.
