Lahore Qalandars Begin Title Defence with Emphatic Win Over Hyderabad

Pakistan Super League 11 began in emphatic fashion at Gaddafi Stadium as defending champions Lahore Qalandars outclassed debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen with a convincing 69-run victory.

Chasing a challenging target of 200 in their first-ever PSL outing, Hyderabad never really found momentum and were eventually dismissed for 130 in their full quota of overs. Captain Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with a steady 26 off 22 balls, while Riley Meredith added an unbeaten 19 down the order. Saim Ayub made 17, and both Hammad Azam and Mohammad Ali chipped in with 10 runs each, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make an impact.

Lahore’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, with Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza, and Ubaid Shah claiming two wickets apiece. Mustafizur Rahman and skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi also contributed with a wicket each.

Earlier, Lahore posted a strong total of 199 for 6 after being put in to bat by their captain Shaheen. The innings was built on a dominant opening stand, as Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem added 84 runs at the top. Naeem scored a brisk 30 off 19 balls before falling to Hassan Khan.

Lahore then faced a brief wobble, losing Abdullah Shafique to a run-out for 4, while Fakhar departed soon after reaching his half-century. He remained the standout performer with 53 off 39 deliveries, striking nine boundaries.

The middle order steadied things through a 37-run partnership between Haseebullah Khan and Parvez Hossain Emon, who made 14. Haseebullah then accelerated alongside Raza in a quick 45-run stand, with the latter smashing 24 off just 10 balls.

Haseebullah finished unbeaten on 40 from 28 balls, while Asif Ali and Shaheen added useful late runs to push the total close to the 200-mark.

For Hyderabad, Meredith and Hassan Khan picked up two wickets each, while Mohammad Ali managed one, but it was not enough to stop Lahore from starting their title defence in dominant fashion.