Quetta Gladiators opener Jason Roy played a piece de resistance knock of unbeaten 145 runs off just 63 balls against Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi on Wednesday to help his team chase down 241 runs.
Roy broke multiple records as this was the highest individual score in the history of the PSL. This is also the highest run-chase in the tournament’s history and the third-highest in T20 cricket.
Roy batted at his absolute best as he scored 20 fours and five sixes in his blistering knock. The England batter took Zalmi’s bowlers to the cleaners as QTG won by eight wickets and 10 balls to spare. This win also keeps QTG alive in the playoff race.
Jason Roy was awarded the Player of the Match for his whirlwind knock. He said in the post-match presentation, “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. This gives us something to smile about, we have got the players but this tournament we have come up short. Really up there, especially in T20 cricket, it does not happen that often and I will cherish every moment.”
Meanwhile, QTG opener Martin Guptill tipped Roy’s knock as the best he has seen in T20 cricket.
He said, “Unbelievable from J Roy. One of the best T20 innings I have seen. I’m speechless. From the start to finish was unbelievable. Originally we were told that we had to chase in 13.2 overs to have a chance and to do it with 10 balls to spare is pretty special. I have been loving it, had a few tough games but that’s T20 cricket. Hopefully now we can scrape through to the semis. Babar is a great player, isn’t he? He won’t hurt you with brutal hitting but he will take away the game with his classical batting.”
On the other hand, PSZ captain Babar Azam had played a fine knock of 115 runs off just 65 balls to help his team post 240 runs on the board. Azam feels their bowling was not up to the mark and it led to their downfall.
Azam said, “Jason Roy changed the game totally. Bowling was not up to the mark, what we discussed we did not execute. Having one more spinner wouldn’t have helped as the pitch was great. We wanted to carry on with the same combination from last game. The way Saim Ayub started, it helped carry on the momentum, as a youngster he is improving day by day and it’s good for Pakistan cricket. As a professional, you need to identify a few things and we will sit and discuss what went wrong. We have back to back games now and we want to come back.”
