The two helped Lahore Qalandars chase down 202 with a ball to spare in an electrifying Pakistan Super League 2025 (PSL) Final against Quetta Gladiators
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Lahore Qalandars 204 for 4 (Perera 62*, Naeem 46, Abrar 1-27) defeated Quetta Gladiators 201 for 9 (Nawaz 76, Fernando 29, Afridi 3-24) by six wickets.
There were n-number of performances that might have deserved to win this final, but in the end it was Kusal Perera and Sikandar Raza that earned the honor of being swarmed wildly by their team-mates into the midnight Lahore sky, as Lahore Qalandars edged Quetta Gladiators in an electrifying PSL final.
In the T20 match, the Qalandars required 47 runs in the final three overs or 18 Balls to achieve the most remarkable chase in the Pakistan Super League 2025 (PSL) final, as well as in any T20 final. To add to the drama, the winning runs were scored by Raza, who had only arrived in Pakistan ten minutes before the toss.
With eight needed off three balls, he polished off the game with a ball to spare with a six and a four, but that he was even in a position to score those runs was down to Perera, whose unbeaten 62 off 31 kept Qalandars in the chase when most logic dictated otherwise.
The Old Records Of the performances trailing in their wake were blistering 40s from Mohammad Naeem & Mohammed Shafique, while Hasan Nawaz's 76 off 43 and Faheem Ashraf's 28 off eight might have won the game on another day.
However, this was a game where staying calm was essential, and the Qalandars managed to do that during the most critical moments.
Raza's enchanting day
I bowled 25 overs the day before yesterday,
batted for approximately 20 overs yesterday,
enjoyed dinner in Birmingham,
had breakfast in Dubai,
drove to Abu Dhabi for lunch,
took a flight,
and then had dinner in Pakistan.
No one but Raza could have described his journey leading up to this PSL final so vividly, a path that culminated in him scoring the winning runs.
Even though he may have been slightly off his game with the ball, he was present during the crucial moments of the match. Whether it was creating the first breakthrough of the game, catching a high ball at long-off to dismiss the dangerous Nawaz, or hitting Mohammad Amir for a four and a six off the first two balls he faced when the required run rate was climbing above 15.
Hasan Nawaz achieved a score of 76 runs from 43 balls, propelling the Quetta Gladiators to a formidable total.
Faheem seizes the momentum Chasing in a final is always a challenge. In the PSL, the highest successful chase recorded was 175, achieved in the inaugural edition.
In this light, Nawaz's 76 off 43 was crucial; he not only steadied the innings, allowing his teammates to contribute with valuable cameos, but he also did so at an impressive pace. When Dinesh Chandimal hit a couple of sixes at the end of the 17th over, bringing Gladiators to 170 for 4, and with Nawaz still batting, it appeared that Qalandars were about to face a historic target.
What was unforeseen at this juncture was that the next two overs would yield only eight runs, with Gladiators losing four wickets in the process, including Nawaz. Suddenly, what seemed like a target of at least 200 now felt like even 190 was ambitious. Enter Faheem. It took a rather reckless single to bring him to the crease - Khurram Shahzad was barely in view when the throw from midwicket missed the stumps - but once he arrived, he made the most of the opportunity. Six, four, six, six came off the next four deliveries as Faheem propelled Gladiators past 200, before getting out on the final ball.
Naeem provides another rapid start The key to Qalandars' success this season has been their carefree and joyful style of play, which has allowed them to disregard the game state and consistently deliver the performance required. On Sunday, this approach faced its ultimate test. However, if there was any uncertainty about Qalandars feeling the pressure, it was swiftly alleviated, ironically with assistance from Faheem.
After scoring 23 runs in that final over, Faheem then conceded all those 23 runs in the third over as Naeem's trio of sixes ignited Qalandars' chase. That 23-run over would be vital in keeping Qalandars within reach, as Amir at the other end was exceptionally economical, allowing just 12 runs in his first two overs. Consequently, Qalandars were limited to 56 runs during the powerplay.
Perera's standout performance overshadows Amir
The Gladiators narrowly defeated the Qalandars by a single run during the powerplay, but it was in the middle overs that they truly extended their lead, 98 to 87. This meant that for the Qalandars to secure a victory, they needed to score heavily in the final overs, a challenging endeavor, especially with Amir still having two overs left.
Amir has been both destructive and economical throughout this PSL, and the final was no exception. After failing to take a wicket in his first two overs, he returned at the end to dismiss Bhanuka Rajapaksa, just as the Qalandars were gaining momentum.
Thus, it was only a matter of time before the Qalandars had to confront Amir while chasing such a daunting target. As the required run rate climbed above 15, they took their chances.
The initial counterattack was led by a seemingly jet-lagged Raza, who struck a four and a six off Amir's first two deliveries in his third over. Then, in the penultimate over, it was Perera's moment, and he responded with a four and a six as well.
Although Perera was brought in just for the final stages of this tournament, he certainly capitalized on his chances in the four matches he played. He saved his finest performance for last, targeting the Gladiators' other two most economical bowlers, Khurram Shahzad and Abrar Ahmed, before finally focusing on Amir.
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