By defeating Islamabad United by 88 runs, Lahore Qalandars ended a PSL record ten-match winning streak and became the first club to defeat United in almost 14 months. A nearly flawless T20 batting display cleared the way for Qalandars, who were also the last team to defeat United before to this run. In posting 209, the top six scored between 22 and 44, with four of them sporting strike rates above 145. One partnership aside, it was followed by a professional bowling display that took enough wickets at regular intervals to guarantee that United’s response would not be a competitive chase.
Qalandars emerged more determined after United made five changes to a team that had won all five of their previous games.
Throughout the season, Mohammad Naeem has had trouble being fluid. However, in the fourth over against Ben Dwarshuis, he announced a change with three consecutive boundaries, which Fakhar Zaman followed up with two sixes against Naseem Shah. One ball after a brilliant display of defence saw Naeem run out, Fakhar launched Jason Holder for a six off the last ball of the powerplay, perfectly encapsulating the team spirit of the innings.
When Abdullah Shafique helped himself to three boundaries in the over at the end of the powerplay, Hunain Shah, one of the players introduced into the team, was unable to stop the momentum, but no United bowler, possibly with the exception of Imad Wasim, could. Before hitting again in his next over to get rid of Shafique, Imad tricked Fakhar in the flight to send him back for a quick 44 off 30.
However, Qalandars’ middle and lower order is starting to work in their favour, and Sikandar Raza, Sam Billings, and Daryl Mitchell alternated in making United pay. United’s fielding discipline collapsed as Mitchell hit 18 off the typically explosive Holder and Billings hit three sixes off five deliveries. As 96 came off the final six, the unstoppable Raza finished it off by tearing through Dwarshuis’ 19th over for 21 and Holder’s final over for another 16.
Although United is the final team to abandon its pursuit of a high total, the alliances they typically establish in these circumstances never seemed to be developing. In games like this, United’s skill and mentality were demonstrated by a 69-run partnership between Andries Gous and Salman Agha, which kept Qalandars honest by maintaining the asking rate within reasonable bounds. However, the mess Raza’s stumps produced after he darted one past Agha’s defences in the 12th over hinted at United’s imminent doom. The fastest bowler for the Qalandars, Haris Rauf, took Azam Khan out four balls later, the first of four wickets he would take.
After an entertaining 27-ball 41, he had sent United’s most established threat packing when he got Gous playing down the wrong line. Unlike Qalandars, United was unable to get the rest of their batters to chip in and burrow their way through to the total. As the innings deteriorated, Raza picked up another couple, and United had down their final nine for 41 when Rauf persuaded Naseem to cut one straight down the throat of the third to end the match.
Due to the severity of the victory, Qalandars moved up to second position, while the team they had completely destroyed remained comfortably at the top.
India
