Batting Lahore Qalanders powered their way to a third Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in four years. They earned this monumental achievement after winning against Islamabad United with a huge margin of 95 runs. That final contest, held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, was a fitting display of Qalanders’ serious team-wide dominance from start to finish. Their talisman, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was key in almost every match on both batting and bowling fronts.
Chasing a mammoth target, Lahore Qalanders made an impressive total of 202 runs in 20 overs for the loss of eight wickets. His fellow rookie opener Mohammad Naeem put a stamp on the score with a powerful half-century, crushing 50 runs from only 25 pitches faced. He played with a lot of intent, smashing seven boundaries and two maximums. This remarkable performance established a strong baseline for his club. Kusal Perera made headlines with his explosive innings, scoring 61 off 35 deliveries to further bolster the team’s total.
In reaction, Islamabad United was on the backfoot against Lahore’s formidable bowling attack. The pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, absolutely ruthless and unrelenting from the top, helped himself to 2 for 3 in three overs. He had Muhammad Shahzad bowled for a golden duck. It was the best spell, perhaps the turning point of innings. Fellow pace bowler Salman Mirza contributed with the ball, picking up crucial wickets. He claimed all his wickets in the powerplay, including Sahibzada Farhan who scored just three runs before being dismissed.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa made a swift 22 runs before Islamabad’s batting collapse began in earnest. Rishad Hossain was the star with the ball for Islamabad United, taking three wickets for 34 runs. Sadly, his efforts were not enough to change the result of the game.
Lahore Qalanders produced monumental celebrations as they booked a place in the final. They are currently on a 7 game-winning streak in the PSL! The past two years, they won the championship title — 2022 and 2023. The result marks a huge accomplishment in their campaign and exemplifies why they’re one of the league’s best teams.
