Lahore Qalandars triumph over Quetta Gladiators to clinch PSL 10 Title
LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars outclassed Quetta Gladiators by six wickets in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, securing their third title in tournament history.
Chasing a challenging target of 202, Lahore got off to a flying start as openers Mohammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman stitched together a brisk 39-run stand. Fakhar’s stay, however, was cut short by Abrar Ahmed, who dismissed him for 11 off 10 balls, including two boundaries.
Abdullah Shafique then joined Naeem, and the duo kept the momentum going with aggressive stroke play. Naeem was particularly destructive, hammering six sixes in a blazing knock of 47 off 27 balls. His innings came to an end at 85-2 in 8.4 overs when Faheem Ashraf struck.
Shafique continued to push the scoring alongside Kusal Perera, adding 30 vital runs for the third wicket. The partnership ended when Usman Tariq got rid of Shafique, who had scored a dynamic 41 off 28, laced with four fours and a six, leaving Lahore at 115-3 in 12.3 overs.
Despite tight bowling from Quetta that increased the required run rate beyond 10, Perera held his nerve. Though Bhanuka Rajapaksa fell to Mohammad Amir for 14 off 16, Perera remained composed and reached his half-century off just 28 balls.
With 47 needed from 18 balls, Sikandar Raza turned the game around with a flurry of boundaries, targeting Amir in particular. Perera continued to anchor the chase, and with just 13 required in the final over, Raza sealed the victory in style—hitting a four and a six with one ball to spare.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Quetta Gladiators suffered an early blow when captain Saud Shakeel was removed by Shaheen Afridi for 4 runs. Things worsened when Salman Mirza dismissed Finn Allen for 12, reducing Quetta to 22-2.
A brief recovery followed as Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz added 38, but Sikandar Raza made an instant impact by dismissing Rossouw for 22 off 11 balls.
Quetta kept the scoreboard ticking through contributions from Fernando (29 off 22) and a fiery 76 off 43 by Hasan Nawaz. Dinesh Chandimal added a quick 22 off 13, but Shaheen struck twice in the 18th over to remove both Chandimal and Nawaz.
Faheem Ashraf played a blistering cameo in the final over, blasting 28 from just 8 deliveries to push Quetta past 200. He was dismissed on the last ball, setting Lahore a target of 203.
Lahore Qalandars chased it down with remarkable composure and power-hitting, claiming their third PSL crown in memorable fashion.
