The Lahore Qalandars' fate hangs in the balance after they contrived to go down against the Quetta Gladiators in a crucial fixture of the Pakistan Super League.

Despite racking up the highest total of the five-team competition so far the Qalandars lost in a thriller to the Gladiators by two wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

After a more than decent start the wheels had come off Gladiators' chase of 202 with them losing four wickets for just 10 runs.

But with 15 still needed off the last over Mohammad Nabi and veteran Zulfiqar Babar took them to the finish line off the last ball of the match.

The Gladiators had already qualified for the playoffs but the Qalandars face an anxious wait on the Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi fixture and their last game against Islamabad United to know their destiny. Earlier with the Qalandars' top order firing together they set the marker at 201 for two in their dig. With this the Qalandars raised their own benchmark they had set when the two teams had met earlier here at the same venue.

On that occasion the Azhar Ali-led side had run up 194 for three and they were comfortable 63-run winners. On this night opener Chris Gayle who has had an average tournament so far by his lofty standards put the skates on with a 34-ball 60 which was peppered with six sixes and three boundaries.

Gayle's best and only double-figures in the competition was 37 against the Karachi Kings a game which the Qalandars had lost. His other scores were nothing much to write about.

That gave the Qalandars the impetus to plot their assault in what was effectively a must-win game for them. Azhar Ali served as the ideal foil and went on to best Gayle's score by a run. Azhar Ali went on to make 61 from 45 balls with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes.

Umar Akmal then came up with a late flurry by clubbing his way to an unbeaten 55 from 25 balls with four boundaries and four sixes.

Dwayne Bravo helped himself to an unbeaten 20 from 17 balls with three boundaries as the Qalandars nudged past the 200-mark. And they did it without their most prolific scorer Cameron Delport who has been in sublime touch. With the top order in full flow the South African didn't get a crack at it.

Despite the early loss of a wicket that of opener Ahmed Shehzad who was beaten by the searing pace of Eshan Adil to be adjudged leg before the Quetta Gladiators responded well. Opener Bismillah Khan showed he was one for the future with a rollicking 55 from 30 balls. His knock was studded with 10 boundaries and a six. The 25-year-old flourished in Kevin Pietersen's company as the veteran egged the youngster on. But KP was not to be outdone though showing how it should be done with a flurry of boundaries just after he had come on to bat after Shehzad's dismissal.

Adil had little time to continue his celebrations as the former England batsman and now T20 merchant creamed the young Pakistani pacer all over the park for five consecutive boundaries. And that was an expensive over with a wicket and 20 runs coming off it.

Bismillah tried to match his more illustrious partner with three boundaries on the trot in the next over bowled by Kevon Cooper.

It seemed to be running away from the Qalandars but Bravo hauled his side back with twin strikes and saw the backs of KP (34) and Bismillah.

Bravo tricked KP with a slower one and KP committed to the shot early and skied to Umar Akmal.

Bravo then surprised Bismillah with a bouncer and the latter couldn't quite be in control of the pull and skied it up. And wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan lapped it up at short fine leg to leave Bravo in sight of a hat-trick but Kumar Sangakkara managed to avert that.