Abdullah Shafique starred with the bat in Lahore Qalandars’ thrilling six-wicket win over arch-rivals Karachi Kings in the Eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Thursday.
Lahore Qalandars chased down a challenging 191-run target to defeat Karachi Kings to knock the latter out of the tournament. They will now face Islamabad in the second Qualifier on Friday.
Abdullah Shafique shone with a blistering 65 off 35 balls, while Fakhar Zaman chipped in with a rapid 47 as the Qalandars reached the target in just 18.4 overs at a run rate of 10.23.
Karachi Kings had earlier posted 190/8 in their allotted 20 overs after being put into bat. Skipper David Warner led from the front with a fluent 75 off 52 deliveries, striking eight fours and three sixes.
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He was well-supported by Khushdil Shah, who remained unbeaten on 27 off 14 balls, and Tim Seifert, who provided an explosive start with 16 off just 8 balls.
Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Lahore, claiming 3 wickets for 35 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi also bagged two scalps, including the key dismissal of Seifert. Mohammad Naeem and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with one wicket apiece.
In response, Lahore got off to a flying start as Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem added 42 for the first wicket. After Naeem fell for 14, Abdullah Shafique took charge, smashing three fours and five sixes in his aggressive innings. He shared a 83-run stand with Kusal Perera, who added a valuable 30 off 24 balls.
PSL 10: Islamabad overpower Karachi to secure second spot
Despite a few late wickets, Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s unbeaten 23 off 12 balls ensured Lahore cruised to victory with eight balls to spare.
For Karachi, Hasan Ali impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 37, while Mir Hamza and Fawad Ali claimed one wicket each. However, the bowlers struggled to contain Lahore’s aggressive top order.
Next fixture
Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will witness a thrilling encounter on Friday as Lahore Qalandars take on Islamabad United in Qualifier 2. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
Past PSL winners
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PSL 2016 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
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PSL 2018 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2019 – Quetta Gladiators
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PSL 2020 – Karachi Kings
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PSL 2021 – Multan Sultans
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PSL 2022 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2023 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2024 - Islamabad United
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