Lahore Qalandars stormed into the HBL PSL X playoffs with a commanding 26-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, thanks to a blistering knock from Fakhar Zaman and a match-winning bowling display by Salman Mirza.
Set a challenging target, Zalmi faltered early and never recovered. They lost three wickets during the Powerplay (first four overs), and their woes deepened when captain Babar Azam departed for just 16. A brief resistance came from Daniel Sams (26) and Ahmed Daniyal (24), but it was too little, too late, as the team was bowled out for 123.
Salman Mirza stole the spotlight with the ball, claiming four crucial wickets. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added to Zalmi’s misery with two important dismissals, sealing a vital win for the Qalandars.
Earlier, heavy rain delayed the start of play by more than two hours, reducing the match to 13 overs per side. Under the revised conditions, three bowlers were allowed to deliver three overs each, while two others could bowl two. The Powerplay was shortened to four overs.
Opting to bat first after the delay, Lahore Qalandars came out firing. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem launched a rapid assault, racing to 50 in just 3.1 overs. Naeem got an early reprieve when Mohammad Haris dropped a catch behind the stumps, but he couldn’t make it count and was dismissed the very next ball for 22 off 10 deliveries.
Fakhar, however, stayed aggressive, notching up a quickfire half-century. Despite wickets falling at the other end—Abdullah Shafique, Kusal Perera, and Sikandar Raza all failed to make an impact—Fakhar held firm, smashing 60 from 36 balls, including seven boundaries and three sixes. His innings ended when Daniel Sams bowled him out.
Asif Ali added a brief flourish with two sixes in a six-ball 18, helping Qalandars reach 149 for 8 in their allotted 13 overs—setting a daunting target in the rain-curtailed contest.
For Zalmi, Ahmed Daniyal was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2 for 22 from three overs. However, his teammates struggled to contain the Qalandars’ aggressive top order.
In the end, Lahore’s all-round performance proved too strong, as they booked their place in the playoffs with a comprehensive win.
