Pakistan Super League Season 11 turned out to be a disappointing tournament for the runners-up of last year and champions of Pakistan Super League 2019, Quetta Gladiators. Under the captaincy of Pakistan Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel, Quetta managed to finish only above Rawalpindiz on the points table. The team secured seventh position with just six points.

PSL 2026 proved to be a tough and difficult tournament for Quetta Gladiators right from the beginning. In the opening match against Karachi Kings, while chasing a target of 182 runs, captain Saud Shakeel and young Shamyl Hussain provided an excellent start by putting 79 runs on the board in seven overs. However, despite that strong partnership, Quetta’s middle order failed to deliver at the right time. The batting struggles, which began with a 14-run defeat, continued throughout the tournament.

Although, in their second match, Quetta Gladiators bounced back from their early disappointment by defeating tournament debutants Hyderabad Kings Men by 40 runs. However, defeats in the next two matches against Islamabad United and Multan Sultans once again spread disappointment within the camp.

In the fifth match, Quetta tried to regain momentum with a convincing 61-run victory over Rawalpindiz, but in the following five matches, victory against Lahore Qalandars remained their only success. With just three wins in the league stage, the support proved insufficient for Nadeem Omar’s team. Burdened by seven defeats, the side was eliminated from the tournament at the conclusion of the league stage.

The main reason behind the poor performance of Quetta Gladiators finalists of PSL 2025 in Season 11 was the failure of their bowling attack, particularly the two spinners on whom Quetta relied heavily. Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed were unable to handle the weight of expectations. Both bowlers looked completely off-color throughout the tournament.

Usman Tariq managed to take only 9 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 33.55, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed also claimed 9 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 36.77.

The injury to all-rounder Ahmed Daniyal also proved to be a major setback for Quetta Gladiators. Meanwhile, the problems within Quetta’s bowling unit were so severe that not a single bowler from the team was able to take ten wickets in Pakistan Super League 2026.

In contrast to the bowling, Quetta Gladiators had mixed results in batting. Among the young batters, Khawaja Nafay was unable to fully live up to expectations, while Shamyl Hussain failed to maintain consistency after making promising starts.

Hasan Nawaz, who had scored 399 runs last season, managed 291 runs in 10 matches this time at a strike rate of 134.10. Captain Saud Shakeel scored 280 runs, while Shamyl Hussain contributed 215 runs.

Quetta’s most notable batter was South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw, who has represented South Africa in 36 One Day Internationals and 29 T20 Internationals. The 36-year-old left-handed batter completed a century of matches in the PSL this year and finished as Quetta’s top scorer in Season 11 with 317 runs at a strike rate of 142.79.

Quetta Gladiators failed to reach the final four in Pakistan Super League 2026. However, the team’s owner Nadeem Omar and his franchise hold a prominent place in the history of the Pakistan Super League. The team gave Pakistan cricket a remarkable captain and cricketer in Sarfraz Ahmed.

At the grassroots level, Nadeem Omar’s contributions are evident for all to see. Defeat and victory are two fundamental elements of sport, but Nadeem Omar and Quetta Gladiators remain a symbol of hope in Pakistan cricket.