A blistering 67 from Fakhar Zaman and a rapid-fire fifty from Sam Billings powered Lahore Qalandars to a dominant 79-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in their latest Pakistan Super League (PSL) encounter on Sunday.
Batting first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Lahore posted a mammoth 219 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Fakhar led the charge at the top, smashing 67 off just 39 balls, including a flurry of boundaries that set the tone for a big total. Abdullah Shafique and Daryl Mitchell provided strong support in the middle order with identical contributions of 37 runs each.
Sam Billings provided the perfect finish, hammering an explosive 50 off only 19 deliveries in the death overs, propelling Lahore well past the 200-run mark.
For Quetta, Akeal Hosein (2-42) and Abrar Ahmed (2-33) were the only bowlers to make notable inroads amid the carnage.
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In response, Quetta’s chase never got going as they crumbled to 140 all out. Rilee Rossouw was the lone resistance with a quick 44 off 19 balls, while Kusal Mendis added 28 off 14. The rest of the batting lineup failed to cope with Lahore’s disciplined bowling.
Bangladeshi spinner Rishad Hossain starred with the ball for Lahore, claiming 3 wickets for 31 runs in his four overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Asif Afridi took two wickets apiece for 6 and 20 runs, respectively. None of the two could complete their quota as Quetta were bundled out in 16.2 overs.
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The comprehensive win boosts Lahore’s net run rate and keeps them alive in the playoff race, while Quetta will be left to reassess their batting failures ahead of their next fixture.
PSL 10 points table
The PSL is off to a competitive start, with all teams having played at least one match. Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, and Lahore Qalandars have each secured a win and currently have two points on the table.
Among them, Islamabad and Karachi remain unbeaten with one win each. Quetta and Lahore have played two matches apiece, winning one and losing one.
Meanwhile, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi are yet to open their account, having lost their opening games. With the tournament still in its early stages, the standings are expected to shift rapidly in the coming days.
| Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United (IU) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Quetta Gladiators (QG) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Lahore Qalandars (LQ) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Karachi Kings (KK) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Multan Sultans (MS) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Peshawar Zalmi (PZ) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Next fixtures
Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will face off in the fifth PSL 10 clash at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday. The match will start at 8 PM Pakistan Time.
Past PSL winners
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PSL 2016 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
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PSL 2018 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2019 – Quetta Gladiators
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PSL 2020 – Karachi Kings
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PSL 2021 – Multan Sultans
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PSL 2022 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2023 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2024 - Islamabad United
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