Lahore Qalandars crowned champions of HBL PSL 7

Lahore Qalandars have been crowned as champions of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season seven as they defeated Multan Sultans in the final by 42 runs at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium.

Qalandars restricted Sultans to 138 while defending a target of 181 and claimed the first-ever HBL PSL title. As Qalandars have won the coveted HBL PSL title, each franchise has won a PSL edition now.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars opted to bat first in the all-important final. The home side were expecting a cracker of a knock from the tournament’s leading run-getter Fakhar Zaman (3) but he was dismissed by Asif Afridi courtesy of a brilliant catch by Shahnawaz Dahani.

Qalandars lost Zeeshan Ashraf (7) and Abdullah Shafique (14) in consecutive overs. Mohammad Hafeez picked up momentum from the start and the score kept coming for Qalandars.

He played his shots but Kamran Ghulam was slow in his approach which led him to play a big shot. Shan Masood and Tim David’s tag-team effort saw the return of Ghulam, who scored 15 off 19 balls.

Qalandars scored almost 100 runs in the final eight overs due to Hafeez’s calculated attack, and the onslaught from Harry Brook and David Wiese. Hafeez registered his first fifty of this season and departed after scoring 69 off 46 balls. He smacked nine fours and a six.

Meanwhile, Brook remained not-out on 41 off 22 balls, powered by three sixes and two fours. Wiese’s cameo includes three sixes and one four. He again scored 28* off eight balls as he made the same in Eliminator 2 against Islamabad United.

Qalandars finished on an impressive total of 180/5.

For Sultans, Asif Afridi impressed with figures of 3 for 19 while David Willey and Shahnawaz Dahani claimed a wicket each.

In reply, Sultans’ reliable duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood gave a good start of 36 runs until Hafeez clean bowled Rizwan (14) to shift the momentum in favour of Qalandars.