KEY POINTS
- Fakhar’s fifty and Shaheen’s late blitz powered Lahore Qalandars to a commanding 199 after opting to bat first.
- Bowling unit fired in unisonas Haris Rauf, Ubaid Shah, and Sikandar Raza shared six wickets to dismantle Kingsmen.
- Debutants crumbled under pressure, managing only 130 in reply as Qalandars cruised to a 69-run victory in the PSL opener.
LAHORE: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars kicked off their Pakistan Super League title defence in emphatic fashion, thrashing debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by 69 runs at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Qalandars post commanding total
Opting to bat first, Lahore Qalandars posted a formidable 199 for 6, powered by a fluent half-century from Fakhar Zaman and a late onslaught from Sikandar Raza and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Fakhar anchored the innings with a well-constructed 53 off 39 balls, while Mohammad Naeem provided early momentum with a brisk 30. After a middle-order wobble, Haseebullah Khan remained unbeaten on 40, and Sikandar Raza chipped in with a quickfire 24 from just 10 deliveries.
Shaheen provided the finishing fireworks, smashing two sixes in the final over to remain not out on 12 off a mere two balls.
Annnnd Qalandars’ bowling did it again.#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra pic.twitter.com/IfINVAs0eL
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 26, 2026
Kingsmen falter in chase
Chasing 200 for a dream debut, Hyderabad Kingsmen never recovered from early blows. Shaheen struck in his first over to remove Usman Khan for 9, and Ubaid Shah accounted for the dangerous Saim Ayub for 17, reducing the newcomers to 33 for 2.
The spin duo of Sikandar Raza and Haris Rauf then applied the squeeze. Raza removed both Marnus Labuschagne (26) and Kusal Perera (1) to derail the middle order, while Rauf finished with impressive figures of 2 for 22.
Despite a late cameo from Riley Meredith (19 not out), the Kingsmen folded for 130 in exactly 20 overs, falling well short of the target.
Bowlers shine for Qalandars
Lahore’s bowling attack fired in unison. Haris Rauf and Ubaid Shah picked up two wickets apiece, while Mustafizur Rahman returned economical figures of 1 for 19 from his four overs. Sikandar Raza also claimed 2 for 27 with his off-spin.
𝑼𝒃𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍🔥
Rattles Hammad Azam’s stumps with a fiery delivery 💨#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra pic.twitter.com/4VWfaPJqnk
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 26, 2026
Clinical start to title defence
The commanding 69-run victory sends a strong message to the rest of the league as the Qalandars begin their title defence in style. For Hyderabad Kingsmen, the result serves as a harsh reality check on their PSL debut, though they will have plenty of opportunities to bounce back in the tournament.
