Peshawar’s journey in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 came to a halt as a ruthless Lahore Qalandars handed them a humbling 26-run defeat in a do-or-die clash in the 29th match of the tournament at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Qalandars have secured their place among the final four teams while knocking Zalmi out of the tournament for the first time in PSL history.
Chasing a revised target of 150 runs in the rain-curtailed 13-over contest, Peshawar Zalmi faltered under pressure and managed only 123 runs for the loss of nine wickets.
Despite a few fighting efforts, including Daniel Sams’ 26, Danyal’s 24, Abdul Samad’s 17, and a disappointing 16-run cameo by captain Babar Azam, the batting order failed to mount a successful chase.
Peshawar Zalmi failed to qualify for the playoff stage for the first time since the beginning of the PSL.
Lahore Qalandars’ star of the match was fast bowler Salman Mirza, who delivered a match-winning spell.
He claimed 4 wickets for just 31 runs, decisively breaking the back of Peshawar’s batting line-up at crucial moments.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars set a target of 150 runs for Peshawar Zalmi after an explosive innings led by Fakhar Zaman.
The match was reduced to 13 overs per side due to persistent rain, which also delayed the toss.
Batting first after Peshawar won the toss and opted to field, Lahore Qalandars managed to post 149 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 13 overs.
Fakhar Zaman played a blistering knock, scoring 60 runs off just 36 balls, laced with seven powerful boundaries and three aggressive sixes that anchored Lahore’s innings.
Other contributions came from Mohammad Naeem (22), Asif Ali (18), and Kusal Perera (17), helping Lahore reach a competitive total.
Peshawar's bowling attack was spearheaded by Ahmed Daniyal, Ali Raza, and Daniel Sams, all of whom claimed two wickets each and managed to stem the flow of runs during crucial middle overs.
With this win, Lahore Qalandars not only remained in the hunt for the PSL 10 title but also played a crucial role in shaping the playoff lineup.
Playing XIs
Peshawar Zalmi XI: Mohammad Haris (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (cap), Max Bryant, Maaz Sadaqat, Abdul Samad, Daniel Sams, Luke Wood, Mohammad Ali, Ahmed Daniyal, Ali Raza
Lahore Qalandars XI: Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Kusal Perera (wk), Sikandar Raza, Shakib Al Hasan, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi (cap), Salman Mirza, Zaman Khan, Haris Rauf