LAHORE: Kusal Perera’s sublime knock and Sikandar Raza’s heroics sealed a dramatic last-over victory for Lahore Qalandars against Quetta Gladiators, securing the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 title here under lights at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing an imposing target of 202, Lahore Qalandars hit the winning runs on the second ball of the penultimate over, losing only four wickets in the process.
Lahore Qalandars had a contrasting start to the Gladiators, racing to 39 in 3.2 overs while losing Fakhar Zaman.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem paired with in-form Abdullah Shafique, steering the home team with a 46-run partnership in a mammoth chase.
Naeem led the charge with a brisk 46 off 27, laced with six towering sixes and a four before getting dismissed in the ninth over.
Qalandars were 85-2 when Kusal Perera joined Abdullah, who stitched a brief stand with him.
Abdullah Shafique departed after scoring 41 off 28 balls, with the scoreboard showing 115/4 in 12.3 overs.
With the required rate mounting, Kusal Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa then joined hands for a 30-run stand, taking the Qalandars to 145 in 16.3 overs.
Rajapaksa fell to Mohammad Amir after scoring 14 off 16 balls, bringing Sikandar Raza to the crease to join Perera.
The two shared an unbeaten, match-winning 59-run stand to guide Lahore Qalandars to their third PSL title.
For Quetta Gladiators, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, and Usman Tariq claimed one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Hasan Nawaz’s sublime knock and Faheem’s late blitz propelled Quetta Gladiators to an impressive total against Lahore Qalandars in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 here at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, Quetta Gladiators posted 201 for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs.
The Gladiators started poorly as they lost their openers only in the third over, leaving Quetta 21-2. Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza dismissed Saud Shakeel (4 off 6) and Finn Allen (12 off 11) respectively.
Following the early hiccups, Hasan Nawaz and Rilee Rossouw partnered to steady the Gladiators’ innings. The duo stitched a 37-run partnership, bringing the total to 58 before Rossouw’s wicket.
The southpaw’s brisk 22 off 11 ended with Shaheen Afridi’s brilliant catch at extra cover. His innings featured four boundaries and a six.
Lahore Qalandars did well with early wickets, but it was Hasan Nawaz and Avishka Fernando’s 67-run partnership that laid the foundation for a strong total.
Hasan was the core aggressor while Avishka played second fiddle. The duo dismantled Lahore Qalandars’ spin attack, keeping a run-rate of 10 per over.
Hasan Nawaz, particularly, took Rishad Hossain to the cleaners, reaching a half century in the process. He accumulated 16 runs of this over to take Quetta to the 100-run mark at the halfway stage of the innings.
With the partnership growing, things looked ominous for the Qalandars, as their fielders were colliding and at risk of injuries. The stand was finally broken with Avishka Fernando’s wicket in the 14th over as the score read 126.
He was caught after scoring 29 off 22 balls, with the help of five fours. Meanwhile, the wicket did not stem the flow of runs as incoming batter Dinesh Chandimal and Hasan Nawaz’s brief stand took them to 155 at the end of the 16th over.
The Gladiators were well set for a formidable total before Shaheen Afridi’s 18th over halted their momentum. The left-arm pacer struck twice, removing both well-set batters.
Chandimal (22 off 13, two sixes) was the first to go, while Hasan was caught off the fifth ball of the over after an enterprising 76 off 43 deliveries. The right-hander’s innings was peppered with eight fours and four sixes.
With these breakthroughs, Lahore made a strong comeback, not before Faheem Ashraf’s blitz in the last over.
The all-rounder smashed 23 in the penultimate over, taking the total over 200. He was eventually removed after scoring 28 off 8 balls, striking at 350 with the aid of two fours and three towering sixes.
For Lahore Qalandars, Shaheen Afridi remained a stand-out bowler, picking up three for 24 in his four overs, while Salman Mirza and Haris Rauf bagged two apiece, though they went for plenty of runs.
PLAYING XIs
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Kusal Perera (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Asif Ali, Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Afridi (c), Rishad Hossain, Salman Mirza, Haris Rauf
Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (c), Abrar Ahmed, Hassan Nawaz, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Avishka Fernando, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Amir, Khurram Shahzad, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Tariq, Finn Allen
