The Lahore Qalandars were in high spirits after an enormous win over their rivals the Quetta Gladiators. It was their first victory of the ongoing season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Only Lahore Qalandars’ allrounders excelled as they powered their side to a 79-run victory at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Fakhar Zaman launched the Qalandars into a strong position with a phenomenal 67 runs from only 39 balls, providing a brilliant tone for the innings. His fast launch set the team’s pace for a record total. Abdullah Shafique and Daryl Mitchell played pivotal roles too, both smashing 37 runs each to add depth to the Qalandars’ total. Sam Billings then capped off the innings with a stellar unbeaten 50 runs from just 19 deliveries, pushing the final tally to an imposing 219 runs for the loss of six wickets.
The Gladiators days earlier had pulled off a record 80-run win against Peshawar Zalmi. This time, they found themselves unable to meet the difficult target. The Qalandars’ bowlers proved too formidable, dismantling the Gladiators’ top order quickly. Captain Saud Shakeel was gone for only a single run, bowled out a few overs into the innings. His teammate Hasan Nawaz quickly joined in, scoring just a single run before being out.
Retiring a clean Finn Allen had a short, ineffective, outing. He was clean bowled for a three-ball duck by Daryl Mitchell who had bowled superbly in tandem with Shaheen Shah Afridi. Faheem Ashraf contributed an important innings, scoring 62 runs to stabilize a faltering innings. He was eventually bowled out by Asif Afridi after scoring 21 runs off 18 balls.
From that point on, the Quetta Gladiators’ innings fell apart as they crumbled to just 140 runs, finishing comfortably short of the target. This defeat highlights their struggle against a strong Qalandars side that has now surged from fifth to first place in the PSL standings, boasting one win and one loss early in the season.
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