Peshawar Zalmi defeated Lahore Qalandars in a thrilling match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), handing Lahore their fifth consecutive loss in the tournament. Despite Rassie van der Dussen’s brilliant century for Lahore, they fell short by 8 runs in their chase of 212 runs.
Van der Dussen’s heroic effort, scoring 104 off 52 balls with seven fours and six sixes, kept Lahore in the game until the last over. However, with little support from the other batsmen, Peshawar remained in control. Paul Walter’s tight bowling in the final over, conceding only nine runs, ensured Peshawar’s victory.
Lahore’s innings had a shaky start, with Sahibzada Farhan getting out early for 15 runs. Fakhar Zaman’s struggle with the bat continued as he was dismissed for just 4 runs. Shai Hope provided some resistance with a partnership of 71 runs with van der Dussen, but his wicket proved crucial in the end.
Lahore’s decision to send in Ahsan Hafeez and Jahandad Khan ahead of experienced hitters like Sikandar Raza and Carlos Brathwaite raised eyebrows, as leaving with a tough task to chase down the target.
In contrast, Peshawar’s opening pair of Babar Azam and Saim Ayub set the stage for a big total with a 136-run partnership. Ayub was the standout performer, scoring 88 off 55 balls with eight fours and four sixes, after a cautious start. Babar and Ayub were well supported by Rovman Powell, who scored a quickfire 46 off 20 balls.
Lahore’s captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 33 runs in his four overs. However, the rest of Lahore’s bowlers struggled to contain Peshawar’s batsmen.
Ayub was awarded the player of the match for his match-winning inning.
