Qalandars Deliver All-Round Masterclass to Knock Out RawalPindiz

KARACHI: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars delivered a commanding all-round performance on Saturday, securing their third victory of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 with a 32-run win over RawalPindiz at the National Bank Stadium, effectively ending the latter’s campaign.

Chasing a daunting 211-run target, RawalPindiz never truly recovered from early setbacks and were held to 178-9 in their 20 overs, thanks to a disciplined bowling display by the Qalandars.

The chase got off to a disastrous start as Shaheen Afridi struck twice in the third over, removing Shahzaib Khan and captain Mohammad Rizwan to leave Pindiz reeling at 17-2. Daryl Mitchell and Yasir Khan attempted to stabilize the innings, putting together a steady partnership and taking the score beyond 50.

Yasir looked particularly aggressive, registering his fourth half-century of the season, while the pair added 71 runs for the third wicket. However, Haris Rauf turned the tide by dismissing Mitchell for a sluggish 11 before removing Yasir in the same over after his impressive 58 off 29 balls.

With momentum slipping, Sam Billings and Dian Forrester tried to rebuild, but Sikandar Raza broke their stand by stumping Billings. Usama Mir then tightened the screws further, picking up two quick wickets, including Forrester and Colin McConchie, to deepen the crisis.

Daniel Sams also chipped in with a wicket as Pindiz kept losing ground. Saad Masood provided some late resistance with an aggressive maiden PSL fifty, pushing the total past 150. His fighting knock of 54 from 26 balls came to an end in the final over when Rauf claimed his third wicket.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars laid the foundation for their big total with a dominant opening partnership. Mohammad Farooq and Fakhar Zaman attacked from the outset, racing past 50 in the powerplay and putting the opposition bowlers under pressure.

Farooq led the charge with an impressive maiden PSL half-century, while Fakhar played the supporting role before accelerating later. The duo stitched together a 121-run opening stand before Mohammad Amir broke through, dismissing Farooq for a well-made 63.

Fakhar continued to anchor the innings and brought up his 25th PSL fifty, guiding the total past 150. He found good support from Abdullah Shafique as the pair added another valuable partnership to keep the momentum going.

Abdullah contributed a brisk 26 before being dismissed, while Fakhar’s fluent innings of 84 eventually ended in the 19th over. In the final stages, Asif Ali provided the finishing touches with a quickfire cameo, smashing two sixes to lift Qalandars beyond the 200-run mark.

For RawalPindiz, Mohammad Amir and Razaullah were the standout bowlers, claiming two wickets each, but their efforts were not enough to prevent a heavy defeat.