Hasan, Faheem Power Gladiators to 201-9 in PSL X Final
News Desk
Lahore: A blistering 76-run knock by Hasan Nawaz and a fiery late cameo from Faheem Ashraf powered Quetta Gladiators to a formidable 201-9 against Lahore Qalandars in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season X at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night.
Quetta recovered from early setbacks, with Hasan Nawaz showcasing his power-hitting prowess in a 43-ball innings studded with eight fours and four sixes. Despite a shaky start, after Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Mirza struck early to reduce Quetta to 21-2 in the fourth over, Hasan, along with Finn Allen, steadied the innings. The pair added 37 runs before Allen departed in the seventh over.
Rilee Rossouw chipped in with a quickfire 22 off 11 balls before being caught brilliantly by Afridi off Sikandar Raza, who made a last-minute entry into the final after flying in from England just 10 minutes before the toss.
Hasan Nawaz remained the anchor of the innings, accelerating fluently and punishing the Qalandars’ spin duo of Sikandar Raza and Rishad Hussain. Partnering with Avishka Fernando, he stitched a 67-run stand off 39 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking and the pressure on Lahore.
Quetta seemed poised to post an even bigger total but stumbled in the 17th over when Afridi and Haris Rauf triggered a collapse, removing Dinesh Chandimal (22 off 12) and Hasan Nawaz (75 off 45) in quick succession. However, Faheem Ashraf turned the tide in the final over, hammering Salman Mirza for 23 runs with three towering sixes and a boundary to push Quetta past the 200-run mark.
Afridi led the Lahore attack with figures of 3-24, including the key wickets of Chandimal and Hasan Nawaz in his final over. Haris Rauf and Salman Mirza bagged two wickets apiece, while Sikandar Raza and Rishad Hussain chipped in with one each, conceding 43 and 42 runs respectively.
Lahore Qalandars suffered a setback when Asif Ali was ruled out due to a head-on collision with teammate Muhammad Naeem during the 12th over. He was replaced by Muhammad Akhlaq as a concussion substitute.
With a stiff target of 202, Lahore Qalandars will need an exceptional effort to chase down the total and clinch their third PSL title in four years.
