Lahore Qalandars clinch PSL title for 3rd time

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Lahore Qalandars have clinched the Pakistan Super League title for the third time by pulling off a sensational six-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators.

Led by speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, the champions earned prize money of $500,000, while Quetta Gladiators, the runners-up pocketed $200,000

Sunday night’s final – a real thriller – went to the last over at the jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Qalandars maintained their calm to chase down a mammoth 202-run target with one ball to spare. In the 10-year history of the event, it is the highest ever run chase in the final.

For the winners, Kusal Perera top-scored with an unbeaten 62 abd forged a19 balls 59-run stand for the fifth wicket with Sikandar Raza. The Zimbabwean all-rounder entertained the crowd to breezy batting after an intelligent bowling spell.

With Qalandars needing 57 off 20 balls, Perera and Sikandar got together. The latter plundered 10 runs – a six and a four from the first two deliveries he faced from quickie Mohammad Amir.

In the 18th over, Perera smashed a couple of sixes and score16 runs. The penultimate over yielded 18 runs as Perera once again smacked Amir for two fours and a six to cut the equation to 13 off the last six balls.

In the last over, Sikandar Raza (22 not out off 7 balls) hit a boundary and two sixes to see their side clinch the title for the third time in four seasons.

Batting first, Quetta Gladiators took a shaky start losing both openers for 21 to aggressive bowling from Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Salman Mirza.

However, they recovered from the early setbacks and went on to score their third-highest total of PSL – thanks to a breezy 76 off 43 balls by Hasan Nawaz.

Avishka Fernando, who chipped in with 29, partnered Hasan for the next 6.3 overs. They forged a 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

In the 20^th over of the innings, Faheem smacked Salman Mirza for three sixes and a four to get 23 runs before falling for an eight-ball 28 on the last delivery.

For Lahore, Shaheen, the leading bowler in the tournament with 19 scalps, took three wickets. Salman and Haris claimed two wickets each.

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