On a damp Rawalpindi night, with the stakes as high as the humidity in the air, Lahore Qalandars reignited their HBL PSL X campaign with a spirited 26-run win over Peshawar Zalmi in a rain-shortened 13-over clash. A fired-up Fakhar Zaman at the top and a comeback spell to remember from Mohammad Salman Mirza powered the Qalandars to a morale-boosting victory in a virtual knockout contest.
After persistent showers delayed proceedings, the game was reduced to 78 balls per side. Put in to bat, Lahore came out swinging with Fakhar and Mohammad Naeem launching a flurry of boundaries in a fiery 54-run stand that took just 22 deliveries. Naeem perished for a 10-ball 22, but Fakhar pressed on. With power and placement in equal measure, the left-hander smashed seven fours and three sixes en route to a 36-ball 60 — his 23rd PSL half-century — to snatch the top spot on the tournament’s run-scoring charts from Mohammad Rizwan.
Kusal Perera, Asif Ali and even Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with cameos, helping Qalandars post an imposing 149 for eight — a total built at a staggering 11.46 runs per over. While Zalmi bowlers fought back at the death, giving away only 22 runs in the final three overs, the damage had already been done. Ahmed Daniyal, Ali Raza and Daniel Sams shared two wickets apiece but were all taken to the cleaners in the early carnage.
Zalmi’s chase never quite got going.
Salman Mirza — returning to the PSL fold after a long absence since 2021 — produced a dream spell that broke Peshawar’s back before they could settle. Saim Ayub departed hit-wicket in the second over before Salman removed Mohammad Haris and Max Bryant on consecutive deliveries to leave Zalmi in tatters at 23 for three.
With Babar Azam’s dismissal — a tame 16 off 13 — in the sixth over to Sikandar Raza, Zalmi were sinking fast at 42 for four. And there was no miracle to come.
Wickets continued to tumble, with Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi joining the party. At 63 for seven, the contest looked done. Daniel Sams (26* off 14) and Ahmed Daniyal (24 off 14) tried to manufacture a late twist with some muscular hitting — their 32-run stand brought a brief flicker of tension — but it was too little too late.
Salman returned to finish his spell with 4 for 31, sealing the game and collecting a well-deserved Player of the Match award.
With the win, Lahore keep their qualification hopes alive, while Zalmi are left ruing their failure to withstand the storm — both literal and metaphorical — on a decisive night in Rawalpindi.
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