After being put in to bat first, the Gladiators recovered from an early wobble to finish their 20 overs at 182/6, fueled by a late-inning blitz.

The innings was anchored by a composed half-century from the middle order, while the death overs saw a flurry of boundaries that shifted the momentum back to the Purple Force.

Despite the Rawalpindiz bowlers finding purchase on the Karachi surface early on, utilizing the cooler evening air to extract swing, the Gladiators’ aggressive approach in the final five overs proved decisive.

The Rawalpindiz, one of the two newest franchises in this expanded eight-team tournament, now face a steep climb.

Chasing over nine runs per over, they will rely heavily on their top-order firepower to navigate Quetta’s disciplined bowling attack.

With the lights bright and the pitch holding firm, all eyes are on whether the Pindiz can pull off a historic chase in this "New Era" of Pakistan cricket.