Lahore Qalandars held their nerve in a last-over thriller to defeat Quetta Gladiators in the 30th clash of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing 198, the Gladiators were restricted to 188-7 in their 20 overs, courtesy of an exceptional performance by the Qalandars’ bowling attack.
The Gladiators got off to a strong start as openers Shamyl Hussain and skipper Saud Shakeel set the tone with a fluent flow of runs. However, Sikandar Raza broke the 49-run opening stand by removing Saud, who scored a run-a-ball 17, including three fours.
Shamyl then stitched a steady partnership with Rilee Rossouw to stabilise the innings and take the total past the 50-run mark. The young opener continued to impress, bringing up his third PSL fifty and keeping his side in the chase. His innings, however, ended via a run-out, thanks to a sharp throw from Daniel Sams, with wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan completing the dismissal. Shamyl scored a brilliant 53 off 31 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, leaving the score at 88-2 in 9.4 overs.
On the very next delivery, Haris Rauf struck to dismiss Hasan Nawaz for a first-ball duck. Rossouw and Khawaja Nafay then added valuable runs to push the total beyond 100.
Rossouw looked in sublime touch, smashing boundaries at will and bringing up his 13th PSL fifty. However, their 40-run stand was broken by Ubaid Shah, who dismissed Rossouw for a blistering 62 off 29 balls, including five fours and five sixes, reducing the Gladiators to 149-5 in 14.5 overs.
The Gladiators then lost wickets in quick succession, with Bevon Jacobs falling cheaply to Shaheen Afridi. Brett Hampton was also dismissed soon after, undone by a sharp yorker from Rauf, who claimed his second wicket after the batter scored seven off as many balls.
Abrar Ahmed kept the scoreboard ticking, finding boundaries to ease the pressure as his side needed 19 runs from the final over.
Haris Rauf bowled the last over and sealed the win for his team, conceding just nine runs. Abrar remained unbeaten on 24 off 14 deliveries, hitting five fours, while Alzarri Joseph also chipped in with three runs.
Qalandars’ Fakhar Zaman earned Player of the Match for stunning century knock.
Batting first, Lahore Qalandars posted 197-6 in their allotted 20 overs, with key contributions from Fakhar Zaman and Charith Asalanka.
The innings began on a shaky note as pacer Khalil Ahmed struck early, removing Mohammad Farooq for four runs off five deliveries, providing Quetta with an early breakthrough.
Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique then steadied the innings with a composed partnership, easing the pressure on their side. Zaman dominated the scoring, guiding the team past the 50-run mark during their stand.
Abrar Ahmed eventually broke the 57-run partnership by dismissing Shafique for 14 off 15 balls, which included two boundaries, leaving Lahore at 64-2 in 6.4 overs.
Zaman continued to anchor the innings aggressively, bringing up his 26th PSL half-century in style with a flurry of boundaries. He was well supported by Charith Asalanka as the duo built another crucial partnership, taking the team beyond 100 runs.
The left-handed opener went on to register his third PSL century, displaying exceptional stroke play and helping Lahore surge past 150.
Brett Hampton then struck to remove Asalanka for 31 off 24 deliveries, an innings featuring three fours and a six, ending their 96-run partnership. Fakhar was dismissed soon after for a brilliant 103 off 51 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes, as Usman Tariq made the breakthrough, leaving Lahore at 164-4 in 16.1 overs.
Khalil Ahmed returned to pick up his second wicket, dismissing Sikandar Raza for five runs off five balls, with Lahore losing their fifth wicket.
The innings closed with Lahore Qalandars finishing on 197-6. Shaheen Afridi was run out for eight by Alzarri Joseph, while Daniel Sams remained unbeaten on 18 off 12 deliveries, striking one four and a six.