Match Details
Shaheen Afridi (Captain of Lahore Qalandars): “We lost quick wickets and that’s what cost us the game. We’ve scored 200+ before as well but there were quite a few mistakes today which lost us the game. The early three-four wickets led me to come up the order."
So that’s that and it’s Peshawar Zalmi that have come out on top with a win by 35 runs after restricting Lahore Qalandars for 172/10 from 19.4 overs.
Batting first, Peshawar got off to a flying start as the openers contributed to a scintillating 107 run partnership from the first 10 overs. Babar Azam played the anchor role and hung in there, whereas, Saim Ayub stormed his way to 68 (36) with eight fours and three sixes to his name.
Ayub batted with a strike rate of 188.89 and provided Zalmi with the platform to go for a big first innings score. Rashid Khan eventually got the better of Ayub by getting him caught behind and soon chipped in with another wicket by dismissing Mohammad Haris 9 (6).
Tom Kohler-Cadmore continued his good run of form with the bat and struck a breezy knock of 36 (16) before getting caught and bowled to Haris Rauf. The skipper, Babar Azam constructed a hard fought 50 (41) and made sure to keep things going from one end.
The lower order couldn’t contribute much as Shaheen Afridi picked up four wickets for 31 runs from his four over spell. Regardless of that, the Peshawar Zalmi cruised their way to 207 from 19.3 overs.
The run chase kicked off in a horrid manner for the Qalandars as they lost four wickets for just 21 runs in 5 overs. It was Arshad Iqbal who cleaned up the debutant Shawaiz Irfan for zero. Fakhar Zaman 11 (11) didn’t have much to offer as Wahab Riaz got him out caught and followed it up with another wicket of Sam Billings for zero.
Things were looking gloomy for the Qalandars but that’s when Hussain Talat and Shaheen Afridi came together to compile a partnership of 114 runs. Afridi struck his first ever half-century in the PSL and did well after starting off in a fidgety manner at the beginning to take his knock to 52 (36). Wahab Riaz got the better of the Lahore skipper by getting him out caught-behind which broke the partnership.
Sikandar Raza did put up his usual fireworks courtesy his 20 (7) with two fours and two sixes, but might be disappointed after come down the order as he could have changed the course of the game in favour of his side.
Hussain Talat’s 63 (37) did have a lot of fight but Arshad Iqbal’s disciplined line and length was too good for him to go beyond.
The veteran left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz stoodout with his spell for 3/17, while, Arshad Iqbal also impressed with 3/27.
This is a big result in favour of Zalmi as they're still in contention of making it to the playoffs, but as a result of this win, the Karachi Kings have now officially been knocked out.