Lahore Qalandars took a major step toward the playoffs with a confident chase, powered by an unbeaten contribution from Fakhar Zaman as they successfully chased down Peshawar Zalmi’s 200-run target. The win kept their postseason momentum strong, while also tightening the race for the final spot in the standings. Hyderabad Kingsmen, the only other side still capable of finishing in contention for that last qualifying position, must now win their last league game against Rawalpindi by a margin of at least 85 runs, or else chase down a target in roughly the first 10 overs of their innings to leapfrog Lahore on net run rate.
In the opening phase, Zalmi struggled to get going and were reduced to 36 for the loss of two wickets during the Powerplay. From there, captain Babar Azam and Michael Bracewell stitched together a crucial recovery, adding 94 runs to shift the innings back into a competitive range. Babar’s approach was measured, as he looked comfortable playing the role of the anchor, scoring 59 off 45 balls before finally falling in the 16th over—dismissed by Haris Rauf. Even after that setback, Zalmi didn’t lose momentum for long, with Bracewell continuing to dominate the strike.
Bracewell turned the pressure into fireworks, smashing six sixes and eight fours in his 45-ball 83. He eventually departed in the final over, but the batting didn’t stop there. Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 27 runs off 14 deliveries, lifting the total to 199 for 4 at the end of the 20 overs—just one run short of the elusive 200.
Chasing 200, Qalandars’ openers found the moving ball challenging early on and they lost Mohammad Naeem at a premature stage. Abdullah Shafique then came in and helped steady the chase, with the pair ensuring Lahore made the most of the final two Powerplay overs by adding 36 runs in that phase. Shafique fell right after, but the innings kept flowing as wickets didn’t fully derail the chase.
Fakhar Zaman played the finishing role at the other end, maintaining the rhythm while the required rate stayed under control. His 53-run partnership with Charith Asalanka ensured Lahore stayed on track, and then the chase was brought home in a hurry with late hitting from Sikandar Raza and Daniel Sams. Raza struck 29 off 11, while Sams remained unbeaten on 35 off 15, and together they pushed Qalandars over the line with three balls remaining.
With this result, Lahore Qalandars not only boosted their own qualification chances, but they also dealt a blow to Karachi Kings’ hopes by knocking them out of contention in the process.
Brief Scores: Peshawar Zalmi 199/4 in 20 overs (Michael Bracewell 83, Babar Azam 59; Shaheen Afridi 2/36) lost to Lahore Qalandars 200/4 in 19.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 58*, Daniel Sams 35*; Khurram Shahzad 1/22) by six wickets.
