3 Reasons why Quetta Gladiators are Struggling HBL PSL 2026: The runners-up of the 2025 Pakistan Super League, Quetta Gladiators, have endured a disappointing start to their 2026 campaign. They have lost three of their first four matches, including a defeat against Multan Sultans in Match 13. At Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, Quetta posted 166/7, but Multan comfortably chased the target, reaching 167/4 in 17.3 overs to win by six wickets.
This poor run highlights a significant dip in form compared to their strong performance last season, where they reached the final. Early losses have put them under pressure in the points table and raised concerns about consistency in both batting and bowling. Following are 3 Reasons why Quetta Gladiators are off to a disastrous Start this season.
- Poor Bowling
One of the primary reasons behind Quetta Gladiators’ struggles this season has been their poor bowling performance. They have not looked convincing with the ball in any of their matches so far. The biggest concern lies in their pace attack. With bowlers like Alzarri Joseph, Tom Curran, and Ahmed Daniyal, the lineup appears decent on paper, but it has failed to deliver collectively.
Quetta Gladiators have no reliable pace bowling option this year. Last year, their bowling attack had the likes of Mohammad Amir, but this year, they are totally reliant on Tom Curran, Alzarri Joseph, and Ahmed Daniyal. All three pacers have economy rates of more than 8 in this season. Tom Curran has been leaking runs at 10.81, Alzarri Joseph has an economy rate of 9.55, while Ahmed Daniyal has been leaking runs at 8.02. Ahmed Daniyal averages 18.2 in the four games that he has played, while Alzarri Joseph averages 32 with the ball.
Tom Curran has not been able to pick up a single wicket this season. Meanwhile, Alzarri Joseph has managed four wickets in four matches, while Ahmed Daniyal has been slightly more effective with five wickets in the same number of games. However, their wicket-taking has not been enough to compensate for their expensive spells.
Apart from the pace attack, even the spinners have not been able to do a satisfactory job. Usman Tariq has had his economy under control at 7.18, but his bowling average is of 57.50. Usman Tariq has only been able to pick up two wickets in the four games that he has been a part of.
Meanwhile, the mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed has managed six wickets in four games, but at the same time, he has been leaking runs at an economy rate of more than 8. With majority of Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers getting smashed at an economy of 8 or more, this season has been troubling for them with the ball. They have been unable to defend a total twice in four games.
2. Inconsistency in the Middle Order
Another major reason is the struggling middle order of the Quetta Gladiators. The Gladiators have not been able to figure out the positions at which different batters should play in the middle order. Khawaja Nafay has played four games; he opened in the most recent outing of the Quetta Gladiators, while he played the other three in the middle order. However, he has managed only 39 runs in four matches at an average of 9.75. Rilee Rossouw has been another big name who has failed to score big in this tournament so far, and he is also averaging in the single digits.
Ben McDermott is another addition to the Quetta Gladiators squad, but he has only managed 28 runs in three innings at an average of 14. The Gladiators were seen shuffling their batting order when they promoted Khawaja Nafay to open against Multan Sultans, while the captain, Saud Shakeel, decided to bat at number 3. The gladiators really need to figure out their batting order issues before it gets too late for them in the tournament.
3. Coaching Panel
The Gladiators have also had troubles with their coaching staff. Earlier, they had announced Wahab Riaz as their bowling coach, but because he already held a position in the PCB, he was later removed from the Quetta Gladiators’ panel due to a conflict of interest. Wahab Riaz was replaced by Sohail Tanvir.
Moreover, the Gladiators do not have Sarfaraz Ahmed in their coaching panel this time, as he is a member of the selection committee of the Pakistan cricket team and therefore cannot be part of a PSL franchise due to a conflict of interest. The shuffle in the coaching panel, along with the lack of input from someone like Sarfaraz Ahmed who had long been associated with the Gladiators is surely hurting them. While Moin Khan continues to lead the coaching setup, the Gladiators have still not been able to find their best form in this tournament.
Quetta Gladiators play their next game against Rawalpindiz on 10th April. They have a long break to figure out their errors. Right now, they sit at No.6 in the Points Table with 1 win in 4 games.
