Qalandars dethrone Sultans, win maiden Pakistan Super League title - GulfToday

Qalandars dethrone Sultans, win maiden Pakistan Super League title

  • 27 Feb 2022
Qalandars-win-PSL-750x450

Lahore Qalandars' players celebrate after winning PSL Twenty20 final against Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday. AFP

Former Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez starred in Lahore Qalandars' 42-run triumph over Multan Sultans in the final to win a maiden Pakistan Super League title in Lahore on Sunday.

The 41-year-old scored a fighting 46-ball 69 to guide Qalandars to 180-5 after they won the toss and batted before a packed 30,000 Gaddafi stadium.

Hafeez then chipped in with wickets of in-form opener Mohammad Rizwan (14) and Aamer Azmat (six) to bowl the defending champions for 138 in 19.3 overs.

Once the league's eternal wooden-spoon - finishing last in the first four editions before reaching the final in 2020 --Qalandars finally completed the set of winners.

All six teams have now won the league.

Islamabad United won in 2016 and 2018, Peshawar Zalmi in 2017, Quetta Gladiators in 2019, Karachi Kings in 2020 and Sultans (2021) last year.

When Shan Masood was run out by a direct throw from Fakhar Zaman for 19 Qalandars had got rid of the prolific rival opening pair and sensed they can win.

From 63-5, Tim David (27) and Khushdil Shah (32) gave the champions hope, but Qalandar skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi sealed the win with wickets of David and David Willey (nought) to finish with 3-30.

Shaheen finished as top wicket-taker in the league with 20.

The winners get a glittering trophy and a purse of $500,000 while Sultans received a runners-up purse of $200,000.

Earlier, Hafeez struck nine boundaries and a six during his knock, lifting Qalandars from a struggling 25-3 during a fourth wickets stand of 54 with Kamran Ghulam (15) and another 58 for the next with Harry Brook who made a fiery 22-ball 41 not out.

Brook, who smashed three sixes and two fours, took 77 in the last five overs with David Wiese partnering through his eight-ball 28 not out, spiced with three sixes and a boundary.

Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi were the two other teams to qualify for the play-offs while Kings and Gladiators bowed out in first round.

Agence France-Presse

Related articles

Masood and Rizwan star as Multan Sultans beat Lahore Qalandars in record-breaking chase

Left-handed Masood made 83 off 50 balls while Rizwan’s (69) sublime form in the T20s continued as he scored his second successive half-century in Multan’s record-breaking chase of 209-5 with two balls to spare.

29 Jan 2022

Defending champions Multan Sultans thump Lahore Qalandars to reach PSL final

A packed 30,000 Gaddafi stadium — mostly supporting the local Lahore team — was enthralled by Rossouw, who hit seven fours and a six. Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani finished with 3-19 for Sultans.

23 Feb 2022

Rampant Rossouw leads Multan Sultans to 56-run win over Peshawar Zalmi in PSL

The South African followed his unbeaten 78 runs in 42 balls against Quetta Gladiators with an impeccable 75 off just 36 deliveries in Multan’s strong total of 210-3 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Captain Mohammad Rizwan scored 66 off 42.

18 Feb 2023

Shaheen Shah Afridi to lead Lahore Qalandars in PSL 7 edition

The 21-year-old joined the Lahore Qalandars franchise in the third edition of the tournament and since then, he has been a standout performer. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for the franchise and overall the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the tournament's history.

20 Dec 2021

Most Popular Stories

Other Articles

Rahul, de Kock help Lucknow overpower Chennai by eight wickets

With the talk around Rahul’s strike rate in T20s especially in IPL, the LSG skipper raced to 34 off 20 with some classy strokes and led his team to 54 for no loss in the Power-play, along with de Kock, for their joint second-best Power-play score of the season.

3 hours ago

Rohit says India-Pakistan Test cricket would be 'awesome'

Their cricket teams have not faced off in a Test since 2007. Instead they play only occasionally in the shorter versions of the game and usually on neutral territory in international tournaments.

9 hours ago

MI survive whirlwind Sharma scare to edge PBKS by 9 runs

PBKS were in real trouble of getting their net run rate being hit by a massive margin when they were 14/4 and later on at 77/6 in the chase of 193. After Shashank hit a 25-ball 41, Ashutosh continued dishing out good finishing knocks with a whirlwind 25-ball 61, also his first fifty in the IPL.

14 hours ago

Dubai Sports Council honours first defence line heroes with special medals

The Dubai Sports Council aims to honour first defence line heroes by presenting medals at upcoming sports events, where they will participate in awarding winners and participants.

18 Apr 2024