Quetta Gladiators Predicted Playing XI vs Karachi Kings- Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed In?

Quetta Gladiators (Source: AFP]

The Quetta Gladiators have won the title once across the 10 seasons of Pakistan Super League and will aim for a second one in the upcoming clash. The Gladiators have retained their core players, with captain Saud Shakeel leading, and have roped in several talented overseas as well as domestic players to strengthen their core lineup for the PSL 2026 edition.

They will have their inaugural clash against Karachi Kings on March 27 at 7:30 PM IST at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Ahead of the clash, let's take a look at the best possible playing XI they can field against the Karachi Kings to start their tournament campaign on a strong note.

Quetta Gladiators Predicted Playing XI vs Karachi Kings - PSL 2026

Openers and top order: Saud Shakeel (c), Shamyl Hussain, Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz

Saud Shakeel will likely open with Pakistan's 21-year-old prodigy Shamyl Hussain, who had a breakthrough Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025, where he averaged 59.93 from his 17 innings. In the National T20 Cup 2020-25, Hussain averaged 40 and is a rising talent that Quetta Gladiators might bet on.

Shakeel, on the other hand, had a decent National T20 Cup 2026 campaign, where he scored 45 runs off 21 deliveries in the semi-final against Sialkot. With form on their side, these two experienced and new players will likely open for Gladiators against Karachi Kings.

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Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz will follow at number 3 and number 4. Rilee Rossouw has been a regular for Gladiators since 2016 and has amassed 272 runs for the team in PSL 2025 at an average of 34, while striking at a massive 178.94. 

Hence, his place will be sealed, as Hasan Nawaz, another shining prospect of Pakistan who averaged 56.75 at a strike rate of 156.55 in the National T20 Cup 2026, will be taking charge of the middle overs.

Middle order and all-rounders: Khawaja Nafay (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tom Curran and Jahandad Khan

Khawaja Nafay will come in to bat at number five as the wicketkeeper-batter of the team. With limited appearances in the T20 World Cup 2026, where he failed to impress, he bounced back in the National T20 Cup, where he scored a 20-ball 48 against Faisalabad, underlining his red-hot form. 

He will then be followed by Bevon Jacobs, a talented Kiwi batter who had a record-breaking average of 90.25 in the Super Smash 2025–26, playing six matches while striking at 164.84.

England all-rounder Tom Curran will be next, having had a decent Big Bash League campaign at a strike rate of 187.50 while taking 16 wickets from his 10 appearances, underlining his merit as a searing all-rounder option for Quetta Gladiators. 

Jahandad Khan, another Pakistan all-rounder, will follow, having taken six wickets and scored 45 runs in the National T20 Cup 2026 from just three matches. His lower-order hitting, alongside left-arm pace bowling, will be a key weapon for the Gladiators to cap off the middle order.

Bowlers: Abrar Ahmed, Alzarri Joseph and Usman Tariq

The bowling attack for the Gladiators will be led by Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, both sensational spinners for the Men in Green. The pace department will be led by Alzarri Joseph, an overseas option who will be impactful with his pace bowling and possible tail-end hitting. 

With two spin options at their disposal, Quetta Gladiators will be comfortable fielding Joseph, Jahandad Khan, and Tom Curran as the primary pace options for their campaign opener in PSL 2026.

Quetta Gladiators' likely playing XI vs Karachi Kings - PSL 2026

Saud Shakeel (c), Shamyl Hussain, Rilee Rossouw, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tom Curran, Jahandad Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Alzarri Joseph, Usman Tariq

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