Rawalpindiz’s difficult season continued as they slipped to their seventh consecutive loss, going down by 32 runs to Lahore Qalandars. The win ended Qalandars’ three-game losing run and kept their campaign alive.
Batting first in Karachi, Lahore Qalandars posted a strong total of 210/4. The foundation was laid by an impressive opening partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Farooq, who added 121 runs. Farooq, playing only his second PSL match, made a significant impact at the top.
Rawalpindiz opted to begin with spin from both ends, but the plan didn’t work as expected. The spinners conceded heavily, allowing Qalandars to gain early momentum. Missed opportunities in the field further hurt their chances, including a missed stumping and a dropped catch during the opening stand.
The breakthrough eventually came when Farooq was dismissed after a fluent innings. However, Fakhar continued to attack, keeping the scoring rate high alongside Abdullah Shafique. Despite a brief fightback with two quick wickets, Lahore finished strongly, with Asif Ali hitting two sixes at the death to push the total past 200.
In response, Rawalpindiz had a shaky start. Early strikes from Shaheen Afridi removed key batters, putting them under immediate pressure. Although Yasir Khan counterattacked with a quick half-century, the required rate kept climbing.
The middle order failed to build partnerships, and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Lahore’s bowlers maintained control, with Haris Rauf leading the attack effectively. Sikandar Raza also reached a milestone during the match, picking up his 500th T20 wicket.
A late effort from Saad Masood, who scored a fighting fifty, was not enough to change the outcome. Rawalpindiz fell short in the chase, continuing their winless run this season.
With this result, Rawalpindiz became only the second team in PSL history to lose their first seven matches of a season. Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars moved up the table, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Brief Scores: Lahore Qalandars 210/4 defeated Rawalpindiz by 32 runs.
