Qalandars vs Gladiators: Lahore win PSL final by six wickets – updates

Special efforts from Naeem, Perera and finally Raza ensure Lahore Qalandars win their third title in four years.

In a match befitting of a final, the host side were able to eke out a victory off the final ball. Commiserations go to Quetta Gladiators for fighting until the very end, only to end up up on the wrong side of the final.

We hope you enjoyed our coverage of this modern T20 cricket classic, and on behalf of Hafsa Adil, this is Rohan Sharma signing off.

The championship-winning captain Shaheen Shah Afridi says the Lahore Qalandars franchise has worked hard on developing young players, who repaid the league’s faith in them.

Afridi, who lost the toss, expected the Quetta Gladiators to post a target of around 180.

“We never thought they would post a score of 200-plus, but the wicket was good, so we backed ourselves to make a chase of it with good shot selection,” Afridi adds.

“Kusal Perera played a brilliant innings, and as for Sikandar Raza, what more could a captain ask for than having a player who shows his commitment when it matters the most?”

Shaheen is handed the trophy, and his teammates join him shortly afterwards.

The left-arm quick moves in front of the banner to finally lift the trophy!

It is passed around amongst the players as they each get their moment in the sun.

The Lahore Qalandars are greeted by Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari as they collect their well-deserved medals.

The second-place ranked side are presented with their runners-up medals.

The Gladiators’ captain Saud Shakeel credits his players for reaching the final.

“It was a wonderful journey that didn’t end well,” a dejected Shakeel says.

“We posted a good total, but they [Lahore] chased well and never let go of the momentum,” the losing captain adds while analysing the final.

“Hasan Nawaz is a talented batter. We moved him all over the batting lineup, but he never complained.”

Hasan Nawaz wins the distinction of player of the tournament.

Nawaz credits his time on the sidelines of the Pakistan team as a learning opportunity.

“I have worked on improving my technique whenever I got the opportunity,” he tells the host broadcaster.

“My plan in the final was to attack the spinners, and while we played well, it was unfortunate that we couldn’t win the final.”

For taking 19 wickets from 12 matches, the Lahore Qalandars captain is named bowler of the tournament.

For scoring 399 runs in 10 innings, the Quetta Gladiators batsman is the batter of the tournament.

Kusal Perera, who scored an unbeaten 62 off 31 balls, is the player of the match.

“We had to take calculated risks. It worked out, and we ended up as champions. My mind was going everywhere. We needed four sixes, so we planned like that,” Perara said.

“He [Sikandar Raza] did a big part in that particular time. It is a brilliant franchise. The players, owner and environment are great.”

We’re about to hear what both sets of captains and the standout players have to say.

Stay with us.

As we wait for the presentations to begin, why not read our in-depth profile of Sikandar Raza from March 2024?

It follows his journey from the streets of Sialkot in Pakistan to becoming a Zimbabwean cricket legend, with a software engineering degree thrown in the middle:

Harare, Zimbabwe – “Monya”, a popular chant originally composed for a revered former captain of Zimbabwe’s biggest football club, has now been turned into an anthem for Raza when he is on song. The nickname for Dynamos FC’s former captain Murape Murape is replaced by “Raza” when the special rendition reverberates around cricket stadiums in Harare or Bulawayo.

The once shy part-time Pakistani cricketer is now proud to call himself a Zimbabwean. It is a place he has called home for the past two decades, and he now leads the country in T20Is.

Read more: Sikandar Raza – the Pakistan-born cricketer who rules Zimbabwean hearts

Lahore Qalandar’s team owner Sameen Rana has broken down the logistics of bringing Sikandar Raza to the Gaddafi Stadium in time for the final – and it’s the stuff of legends.

“When Sikandar was playing the Test, I asked him, ‘What are your chances [to make it to Lahore in time]?’ And he said ‘I don’t know’,” Rana tells the host broadcaster.

Rana said his team began searching for flights for Raza but couldn’t find any from Nottingham, where Zimbabwe played their Test match, so the all-rounder was driven to Birmingham airport.

“He then willingly took an economy class flight, despite being a top-level player and having just come out of a Test match.

“Raza spent hours at the airport between flight connections and pushed us to get him to Lahore for the final. He kept telling us, ‘I can do it’, and he’s done it.”

The man of the moment, Sikandar Raza, shared his thoughts after what has been a whirlwind 48 hours: “[I] bowled 25 overs day before yesterday [during the one-off Test between England and Zimbabwe]. Batted for 20-odd overs yesterday.

“I had dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, lunch in Abu Dhabi and flew straight to Lahore for the PSL final. This is the life of a professional cricketer, and I am truly blessed to have this life.

“I tried to take the emotions out. I am here to do my job. God forbid, we lost the game. I know I am with my brothers.

“If I told you how I got here, it is unbelievable. And to have a victory like this, I just have no words. The journey helped. I was basically blank out there and did not try to premeditate.

“We had a final two years [against Multan Sultans where Qalandars won by one run] that went to the last ball. No other team is more prepared than us, given the do-or-die games we had to face this time around to get here.

“We had concussions; Naeem wasn’t fit. There was so much drama in this game. I pick this final over the one two years ago.”

Lahore Qalandars’ batter Abdullah Shafique has praised the effort from his team and Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy.

“We were confident but didn’t set high expectations of ourselves,” he says.

Shafique is full of praise for Lahore legend Raza.

“For Sikandar to play such an innings after such a long travel is a lesson for everyone. People quit cricket at this age, but he’s showing true dedication and hard work.”

Lahore Qalandars all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz spoke after the match: “It was an excellent match. Everybody enjoyed [it] a lot. I think Kusal and Raja played really well in crucial moments. We are proud of them. We are champions.

“The crowd was very excited for today’s match. You never knew which way the match is going. We are happy and enjoyed a lot in the middle. They [Kusal Perera and Sikandar Raza] didn’t panic and believed in themselves. That’s why we won the match.”

It’s records galore for the champions as their captain Shaheen Shah Afridi becomes the first skipper to win three PSL titles, after leading the Lahore Qalandars to glory in 2022 and 2023 as well.

There are plenty of happy faces as the players make their way around the ground to celebrate with the fans.

It’s a record run chase for the Lahore team, bettering Islamabad United’s 175-4 in the opening season of the PSL. Islamabad, too, beat Quetta Gladiators.