Fakhar Zaman's blistering 67 and Sam Billings’ unbeaten 50 off just 19 balls, combined with disciplined bowling from the spinners, propelled Lahore Qalandars to a commanding 79-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in the fourth match of HBL PSL X at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.

By PakPassion Staff (April 13, 2025)

Defending a mammoth 219-run total, Lahore's spin trio—Rishad Hossain (3/31), Sikandar Raza (2/12), and Asif Afridi (2/20)—combined for impressive figures of 7 for 63 in 7.2 overs to dismantle the Quetta batting lineup.

After Abrar Ahmed claimed the early wicket of Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar and Abdullah Shafique (37 off 21, 6 fours, 1 six) put together a 56-run stand. Fakhar, who hammered seven boundaries and three sixes in his 39-ball innings, then partnered with Daryl Mitchell (37 off 23) to add 80 runs from just 42 balls.

Billings entered in the 16th over and provided the finishing touches, smashing four fours and four sixes in a fiery half-century to take Qalandars past the 200-run mark for the 12th time in PSL history. Their total of 219 for 6 was also their third-highest in the league, following scores of 241-3 and 226-5 in the previous edition.

Quetta’s chase faltered early, slipping to 9 for 3 inside three overs as Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Saud Shakeel and Finn Allen, while Asif Afridi dismissed Hasan Nawaz.

Rilee Rossouw (44 off 19, 4 fours, 4 sixes) and Kusal Mendis (28 off 14) tried to spark a comeback with a rapid 45-run partnership in just 18 balls, but Haris Rauf ended Mendis’ stay in the sixth over.

From there, the spinners tightened the grip—Rishad Hossain got rid of Rossouw and later removed Mohammad Amir and Abrar Ahmed in the 13th over. Sikandar Raza struck twice in the 12th, sending back Shoaib Malik (14) and Akeal Hosein (13), before Asif Afridi returned to claim the final wicket of Faheem Ashraf (21) as Quetta were bowled out for 140 in 16.2 overs.