The Pakistan Super League (PSL) once again lived up to its reputation of delivering high-octane finals as Lahore Qalandars edged past Quetta Gladiators in a heart-stopping contest to win the PSL 10 title at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday night.
Chasing a daunting target of 202 set by Quetta Gladiators, Lahore Qalandars crossed the finish line on the penultimate delivery, thanks to a match-winning boundary by Sikandar Raza.
Kusal Perera's unbeaten knock of 62 off 31 balls turned the tables on Quetta Gladiators, who seemed to be cruising at one stage, as Sikandar Raza's unbeaten cameo of 22 off 7 balls sealed the deal for Lahore to the jubilation of the full house of home crowd of Qalandars.
Lahore triumphed by six wickets in a sensational run chase.
With this victory, Lahore have now claimed the PSL crown for the third time, having previously won back-to-back titles in Seasons 7 and 8, cementing their status as one of the most successful franchises in league history.
Quetta Gladiators' four bowlers made breakthroughs, but it wasn’t enough to contain the Qalandars' aggressive chase. Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, and Usman Tariq each picked up one wicket apiece.
Despite their efforts to halt the run flow, Lahore’s batters maintained control throughout the innings, ultimately steering their side to a thrilling last-over victory.
At the beginning of the innings, young batter Mohammad Naeem contributed a valuable 46 runs, while Abdullah Shafique added 41 to ensure a strong foundation for the run chase.
The batting unit of the Lahore Qalandars as a whole showed resilience and composure against a determined Quetta bowling attack.
The thrilling final saw everything PSL fans have come to expect — big hits, tense moments, and a finish that kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the last over.
Despite a strong performance from Quetta Gladiators, especially from Hassan Nawaz, who scored 76 run,s and Faheem Ashraf’s quickfire 28, the day ultimately belonged to Lahore.
As celebrations erupted among fans and players alike, Lahore Qalandars etched their name in PSL history books once again, proving their dominance in recent editions and their ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators' skipper Saud Shakeel won the toss and decided to bat in the final being played at Qaddafi Stadium.
His decision to bat first seemed to pay off as they put up a competitive total of 201 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in this high-stakes encounter.
The star of the innings was Hassan Nawaz, who played a fearless and explosive knock, scoring 76 runs off just 43 deliveries.
His innings was laced with four towering sixes and eight fours, and he emerged as the top scorer for his side, displaying his ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage of the tournament.
Faheem Ashraf provided the perfect finish. Entering the final overs, he unleashed a brutal attack in the last over bowled by Salman Mirza, collecting 23 runs and pushing Quetta’s total well past the 200 mark. Faheem’s quickfire 28 came off just 8 balls.
Earlier in the innings, the Gladiators started poorly as they lost their openers only in the third over, leaving Quetta 21-2. Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza dismissed Saud Shakeel (4 off 6) and Finn Allen (12 off 11) respectively.
However, a 38-run partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz steadied the innings.
Rossouw looked dangerous, but his stay was cut short by Sikandar Raza, who made an immediate impact by dismissing him at 22 off just 11 balls.
At that stage, Quetta were 58-3 in 6.2 overs.
Hasan Nawaz went on to notch his third fifty of the season. He shared a crucial 67-run stand with Avishka Fernando, helping Quetta regain momentum.
Fernando was dismissed for 29 off 22 balls by Rishad Hossain at 125-4 in 12.5 overs. Dinesh Chandimal then joined Nawaz and provided valuable support, striking two sixes off Sikandar Raza in the 17th over to propel the score to 170- 4.
Shaheen Afridi returned to halt the charge, removing Chandimal for a brisk 22 off 13 balls.
Two balls later, he struck again, dismissing the well-set Hasan Nawaz for a brilliant 76 off 43 deliveries, reducing Quetta to 172-6 in 17.5 overs.
Haris Rauf made further inroads in the 19th over by removing Mohammad Amir and Abrar Ahmed for ducks, denting Quetta’s hopes of a strong finish.
However, Faheem Ashraf played a vital cameo in the final over, smashing 28 off just eight balls. He was dismissed on the final delivery of the innings.
For Qalandars, Shaheen led the wicket tally with three wickets in his spell, followed by Salman Mirza and Haris Rauf with two wickets each, and Sikandar Raza and Rishad Hossain with one wicket each.
Playing XIs
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Kusal Perera (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Asif Ali, Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Afridi (c), Rishad Hossain, Salman Mirza, Haris Rauf
Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (c), Abrar Ahmed, Hassan Nawaz, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Avishka Fernando, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Amir, Khurram Shahzad, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Tariq, Finn Allen